


A Story of Two Souls

by DragonDreads (cjbage)



Series: Soul Mate Project Files [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-06-05 06:31:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 40,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6693247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjbage/pseuds/DragonDreads
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For as long as even the Krogan and Asari could remember strange marks appear on all sapient life forms that are hormonally driven to seek out mates. The Asari who first stumble upon the space station known as The Citadel finally find the answer in ancient archives stored in vaults under the wards. They are called Soul Marks and are meant to determine who carries the other half of a person's soul.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Standard Disclaimer:** Bioware owns all of the Mass Effect Universe, including but not limited to the recognizable characters. Any original characters are my own. There is no monetary gain from this work. All I am doing is playing around with their universe.
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> Please do not use my original characters in a different story unless permission is asked for and received.
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> **\------ If you are reading this on any site other than Archiveofourown.org, please know that this is a STOLEN WORK, the author has NOT given permission for it to be here. If you're paying to read it, you're being cheated, because you can read it for FREE on that site! See Author's note for any translation exceptions.------**
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> **~**
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> This story was started last year and I just now got around to finishing it. I originally wasn't going to be posting this because I didn't feel it was any good nor would it garner interest, but since I am struggling with my other stories I thought it would at least give something to the community. Here's to hoping that someone will like it enough to read. Comments, kudos and constructive criticism are welcome.

* * *

 

 

For as long as even the krogan and asari could remember strange marks appear on all sapient life forms that are hormonally driven to seek out mates. The asari, who first stumbled upon the space station known as The Citadel, finally find the answer in ancient archives stored in vaults under the wards. They are called Soul Marks and are meant to determine who carries the other half of a person's soul.

The beacon showed them how to build a database to hold the information from their own time. Those people that have reached their majority should be included, a scan of their marks added so they can be digitally matched up.

Not all species took to this news. Many refused to believe the asari's findings. Many did not want their people to find mates outside of their own species. Many refused to join the database, made it a punishable offense if they did. Still, others were so aggressive that they had yet to be included into the Galactic Community.

Others followed the findings; they could see the value, they could see the usefulness. They built the database and followed the path laid out according to the beacon they had found. Many knew that they would not find their mates as it was possible they were from those species that would not conform or for whatever reason not included.

Still, others knew that if they had mates among the asari or krogan, it was possible that they would die of old age before their mate had come of age. So they made laws and set them in place that allowed for everyone to find mates outside of the database, until which time their matches revealed themselves. Then they would be soul bound, any children of previous matings would be unconditionally accepted as their own with agreed upon custody beforehand before conception even took place. If they never found their other half, they would at least not be alone for their entire lives.

 

* * *

 

Cara sat in front of her mirror; today was her 18th birthday. Today after the morning birthday celebrations the shuttle would leave carrying all those that turned 18 on this day from her small town and the other ones around it to the data collection center in the metropolis. Her parents told her not to worry; it was a fast collection of data. The forms were already filled out and noted by her family physician. They would simply scan it in, take a holo of her and a scan of her marking then she could come home.

They wouldn't be able to come with her as her younger brother was unable to stay alone, he had just turned 10. Her parents tried to find someone that would take care of him, but most either didn't have the time to babysit because of working or had children of their own to attend to.

She let out a sigh and finished packing the overnight bag. Even though it would take no more than an hour, there was a possibility of the center processing hundreds if not thousands of people today. If it took longer than usual to get them all added they would be given a bunk to sleep on that night and would be finished first the next morning.

She brushed her hair and put on her birthday dress. It was the first brand new dress she ever received. Her usual clothing was functional in nature not frilly.

The town square was set up for the celebration. Music and food were plentiful, as was laughter. The morning seemed to go by quickly, and the handful of people headed toward the shuttle that had just landed. Once on board, they sat then one by one showed their marks, none of them were matches. Everyone heaved out a sigh and settled down until they reached the next town then it would start up all over again.

 

* * *

 

When the shuttle arrived at the collection center, everyone got off and looked around. Parked in nice neat rows were hundreds of shuttles. Many of them had newly turned adults filing out of them and heading toward the entrance doors. 

"Follow me, please. Stay in your line." The pilot herded them quickly into the building and handed a datapad to the attendant then left, walking toward a group of people waiting for a return shuttle. Cara watched as they followed him out to the shuttle and it took off.

 

* * *

 

"Next," came a bored and tired sounding voice from a small cubicle in front of her. Cara quickly walked up and handed the man her data pad. 

"Stand still and don't move until I tell you." The light scanner came down and worked its way over her several times. "Where is your mark located?"

"It's on my right ankle."

The man typed something on the terminal, and a new scanner came up from the floor, "Hold still. Don't move. Don't twitch or anything. This has to be a perfect scan as even a slight difference would render it useless and could cost you or another their true mate." 

Cara froze, barely breathing. A minute later the scan was finished, and she let out a huge breath. He handed her a document and pointed to where she could wait until the next shuttle for her area was ready to leave. She spent her time looking around; she saw several parents mixed into the bunch. Even a few with the matching Soul Bound collars were here.

She opened the document and read it over, telling her the process that the information would go through. The center would contact her if they found a matching mark. If that happened she would need to go to the Citadel, their Soul data facility would recheck the findings and set up the Binding. If she had children that were in her custody at the time of the notice, they would also need to attend and added to the database. The same would go for her mate.

Another girl sat down beside her, "So what do you think about this whole thing? I think it's a bunch of malarky myself. No one and no mark will tell me who I can marry. I'm only here because my parents wouldn't let me skip out. Said I would be breaking the law. Not as if I care. Even if I do have some stupid Soul Mate thing out there, I'll continue to screw who I want, when I want, and the hell with that whole database thing. Once I'm no longer in that system they can fuck off."

Cara looked over at the other girl; her clothing was ragged, it looked like she had intentionally destroyed most of it. Black lipstick and makeup so heavily caked on her face that Cara thought if the girl would do anything other than scowl it would leave giant cracks in it. "I'll just keep working and doing things as usual. If they find a match, I'll go and do what I need to do. The likelihood of actually finding a match is pretty low considering how big the galaxy is and how quite a few species are not in the database. Then there are the ones that don't reach their majority for a hundred years or more." She shrugged and went back to reading.

The rest of the seats in the area started to fill up quickly as the hours went by, they were given packaged rations and water after several hours. Once there was a full group the shuttle took them all to their drop off points.

 

* * *

 

***~* Four years later *~***

 

"Cara, we're out of pies again. You need to get some going; we have people buying whole ones." A man's voice called out to her over the speaker system.

"I'm on it; the oven is cooking them as fast as I can make them. A new batch should be ready to bring out in 20 minutes. Another one is coming out of the oven to cool now." Cara yelled back, her arms laden with a giant bowl of ingredients she added to the pie crust machine.

For the last three years, she had been working at the Dream Pie Bakery and Cafe. Her family had lost their farm during one of the worst hurricane and tornado seasons on record; there had been nothing left even to try and salvage. They took their insurance money and moved the family to the Citadel. They bought a tiny bakery and cafe that had been closed for years, sinking most of their money into refurbishing it and the small apartment above the store. This year they had finally started making a clear profit, all their bills were paid off, the property was theirs free and clear.

They adopted a young girl that everyone referred to as a duct rat. They had found her digging in the trash can out in the alleyway and offered her a safe place to sleep, food and some money. All she had to do was help out by bringing pies from the bakery to the storefront. The girl, Marcy, quickly agreed. Cara took her to their apartment, let her get cleaned up and gave her some of her old clothes to wear. They cleaned out one of the small storage rooms for her and turned it into a bedroom. The girl was a quick learner and honest. They also set her up with online schooling. After Cara had moved out of the apartment, Marcy had moved into the small bedroom that belonged to Cara's brother while he took over the larger one.

"Cara, those pies look delicious." Marcy sat on a small stool near the cooling pies, as soon as the timer would go off, she would carry the tray out to the storefront then come back in to watch Cara make more.

Cara gave her a big grin, "Thanks. I can't believe how popular our little store has become. We were barely scraping by when we first got here. Then Mom suggested we start to make desserts for the nonhumans. First came the turian drinks, then the asari and salarians. I would go to their bakeries, and after assuring them that all we were making were drinks that were available pretty much anywhere on the station and a specialty line of desserts, they started to tell me about their ingredients. Giving me descriptions and the normal way of cooking them." She let out a laugh as she transferred the dough to the machine that rolled it out and cut out the crust shapes.

"That first year was horrible. I would take the desserts to them and get their opinion. The absolute worst were the turians, since to us their foods always taste off. That poor female that I used as a guinea pig was sick for the longest time until I finally got the mixture right."

The timer went off, and Marcy hopped from her stool and carefully carried the ready pies out. She came back in with a list of ones they needed to make since they were getting low on them. Cara let out a sigh and blew a strand of hair up before filling up more crusts and putting them on the baking tray. She went to the large refrigerator pulling out several prepared crusts for the turians and got them ready to go as well, before going back to start making more dough.

It was near closing time when two officials came into the store. They asked to see Cara. Her mother called her out to the front.

"You are Miss Cara Shadewell?" The asari asked her, while the turian that was accompanying her ran a scan.

"Yes, that's me." Cara was still wiping her hands on a wet towel and wondering why they wanted to speak to her.

The turian handed her a datapad. "We are from the Soul Mate Project data facility. Your markings have drawn a match. We need for you to collect the documents that were given to you at the time of your registration, along with any children that are yours and report to the facility at 0800 Citadel standard time tomorrow morning for data verification. As per your species agreement with the Governing body of the Soul Mate Project, know that if you fail to report, and there is no valid legal or medical reason why they will hold you in contempt. You will be tried and imprisoned in a cryo facility for no less than three standard years as this would be the first offense. Once released, failure to report to the facility immediately would incur an incarceration of 10 years. The third offense is life imprisonment in a noncryo facility. Your family will also have black marks placed in their files noting your failure to comply."

"Do you have any questions, Miss Shadewell?" The asari asked her as she watched the young human reading over the document that they handed to her. The human's hands were shaking badly.

"Yes. This may sound a bit crass and excuse me for asking, but as you may notice this is a family run store, I am the pastry chef here, and my duties keep me working all day. I must ask how long the usual time for the process is? And can it be broken down over a period of several days so I may continue to fulfill my duties here."

"The process lasts several days since you are already on the Citadel and have a verified residence it will go smoother. The first part should only take a few hours. Then you can resume your duties here while waiting for the arrival of your mate. Once the center verifies their mark and paperwork, then you will be contacted to report back to the facility. The paperwork will note any changes or additions. You and your mate will make your choice of Soul Bound collars. The collars will remain with the facility until the time of the binding; usually the next day. From that point, you can return to your normal duties." The turian waited to see if she had any more questions.

"So my potential mate is not on the Citadel at this time?"

Cara looked up at the asari, "no. They will be arriving in two days."

Cara cocked an eyebrow and cleared her throat, "You... ah... wouldn't happen to know who the person is, would you? What species?"

The asari gave her a small smile, "Sorry Miss Shadewell; we are only the messengers."

"Ah... well, thought I would try." Cara smiled at them both. Her parents waited until the officials had left before they came over to her.

"A Soul Mate?" Her mother was almost crying. Her father looked nervous. What if his little girl, his sweet little girl was a mate to one of those krogan brutes or some of the stranger alien races they had seen on the Citadel. A giant pink jellyfish or those huge lumbering ones he had seen slowly making their way across the deck. What would they do if her mate insisted on taking her away from them? It had been hard enough letting her move out to her own apartment.

He cleared his throat, "Congratulations, sweetheart. Guess we better put up a sign warning our customers there may be a pie shortage over the next few days."

Cara let out a nervous laugh. "Maybe I should get cracking, make a bunch of our best sellers just in case."

 

* * *

 

Cara stayed up well past midnight making pies, then she tossed and turned until it was time for her to get up to start her day. Setting more pre-made crusts out and filling them, setting them on trays, so all Marcy had to do was slide the tray on the belt and set the pie code into the machine. It would bake, the tray would slide out and deposited on the cooling racks. She grabbed her packet, checked her appearance then left. There was already a crowd of customers waiting and most congratulated her on finding her Soul Mate. Others didn't say much just glanced her way.

When the transport dropped her off in front of the imposing building, she could feel her knees shaking. She arrived early and had time to try and calm down. 

She watched several other people carrying those same packets hurry into the building and went in as well. After running her omni tool under the scanner, she was told to take a seat.

"Miss Shadewell? Right, this way. I assume you have your packet?" She followed the fast talking salarian to a room. He took the datapad from inside the envelope and quickly read it over. "I need to run the scan on the mark to confirm it. Hold still please." She waited until the scan finished. 

He asked her several questions, such as the verification of her address, and if she had children why weren't they present, were they legally under the custody of their father or another mother? Any new health issues they should be made aware of?

The questions kept coming, and the salarian would type out as fast as she answered. "Your mate will be here tomorrow.  You'll receive notification after the confirmation on the marking. Do not leave the Citadel. Good day, Miss Shadewell. Follow the blue lights to the exit."

She got up and made her way down the hallway following the glowing blue dots along the wall. She still had no idea what species her mate was or even their name.

 

* * *

 

Her mother had come into the bakery part to help make the pies the next morning, when for the third time, they had heard a tray crashing to the floor. Their regulars knew why the others heard the whispers of Soul Mate and understood. Especially once they heard she had yet to find out who and what species they were. Several of their customers stopped by before the doors were opened to wish her well, many of them bringing their own soul bound mates. Most of them weren't what she considered a bad match, all of them were kind anyway. But she couldn't understand how the small asari could handle that large elcor or krogan.

She had no sooner started to calm down when her omni tool went off. They all froze as she looked at it. Her mate had arrived, and she was to report right away to the facility.

She picked up her packet and with a last glance behind her headed for the door.

 

* * *

 

After being led into a different room than the first time she had been here, she sat down to wait. An asari soon came into the room and sat across from her. "Now, Miss Shadewell. We ran the scans again to verify the match. Everything seems to be in order. Your mate will be joining us shortly. You will be receiving some items to look over. You will need to choose the color for the Soul Bound collar. We will also need to discuss a few things with you and your spouse that will be unique to you both since you are in fact different species."

Cara paled and started to shake.

"Do not be alarmed, Miss. I have met your mate; he seems to be a nice male. And he seemed interested in meeting you." The asari gave her a small smile before handing her a datapad. "Please read this over and verify the details."

As she was looking over the information about her health status, and all the normal things she heard the door open. Her hands started to tremble, and she refused to look back at the door.

"Miss Cara Shadewell, meet your Soul Mate, Vaal'Res vas Tesha." Cara frowned, _what kinda name was that_?

"Hello, Cara. I'm Vaal." A deep voice that had a distorted sound to it came to her ears. She scratched her forehead and laid the datapad on the desk before clearing her throat.

"He-hello." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a two-toed foot encased in what looked like armor.

"You don't need to be afraid of me. I know my kind aren't welcome in many places. But we are not all that others like to describe us as."

Cara frowned again, her eyes slowly moving up from his feet, a space suit encased his entire body; it was white and red with yellow accents. A quarian? She had, of course, heard of them but have never met one, as most of them stay with their ships. His eyes glowed at her from behind his red mask. "It isn't that I am afraid... exactly. But this is all a bit much; I never thought --" She fumbled with the datapad again. "To be honest, I don't know anything about your people."

"That is why I am here Miss Shadewell. As I said, there are special circumstances in your case. Your mate needs special environmental areas that are completely sterile. He also is one of the only two dextro-protein based sentient lifeforms, so the food that you would eat is not suitable for him. In fact because of a quarian's immune system it could be fatal to him."

"You said a sterile environment. My apartment is clean but far from sterile. How will he be able to live there? He has to be able to come out of that suit sometime, right?"

"The filters in my suit are functional for quite some time. I can use a hospital's clean rooms to replace them when I need to. But no, unless the environment is sterile it is not wise for me to come out of my suit. I will, however, need to become, hmm, immune slowly I guess you could say, to your natural bacteria. I will not lie; I will become incredibly ill. When they first notified the fleet of our match, I began the immune boosters, vitamins, herbal supplements, and vaccinations."

"You make me sound like a walking cesspool." Cara crossed her arms and looked at the desktop.

"I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect. Even among my people, we do the same routine before agreeing even to share an open air room. Even on our own ships, we remain in our suits and only come out of them in our own clean rooms. We even sterilize our food." Vaal looked down as well; he knew it would be a difficult match and would have many rough patches. But they were meant to be together. They would work it out.

"Clean rooms... food sterilizers... dextro food on top of it... I don't have that kind of money. I work at my family's bakery. My apartment is small. There are no rooms I can turn sterile for you, even if I had the money for it." She started to shake. "What... what will happen to me? Am I going to prison because I can't meet the requirements?"

"Oh no, Miss Shadewell. Calm down. You obeyed the law and your species' requirements outlined in their agreement. We have funds set up for cases such as this, though a human and quarian pairing is rare indeed. We will, however, need time to set up the new apartment properly. We'll provide a supply of sterilized food tubes for you. It may not be like the food grown on the fleet, but it will be better than the military grade paste."

Vaal gave a laugh, the small light on his helmet flickered with it, "That right there makes it worth the wait. Anything is better than the military food paste."

"We have long-term loan arrangements for other equipment and the immediate medical needs. I suggest a loan with a reasonable payment and low interest and buying a supply of suit repair gel, antibiotics, and other medications. Along with a decent food sterilization kit. The apartment rental cost will be slightly more than what you are paying at the moment Miss Shadewell, but you will also have another income to help offset the costs."

"Your binding will be set at the end of the week. I will leave you both to discuss the collars. In Vaal'Res vas Tesha's case, it will also be the coloration and imprint on the shoulder piece of his suit as well as the collar. I will be back shortly with the application for the loan form and can take you to begin your first round of antibiotics and supplements Miss Shadewell. We will supply you with the necessary starter medications and also the skin wash and shampoo that you will have to use from now on. I will also answer any questions you may still have."

After she left both of them sat there for the longest time, neither one moving. "This is more awkward than I had imagined," Vaal said to her.

She gave out a short laugh, "Try sitting here thinking they were going to be bringing in a krogan or an elcor when they only tell you that your Soul Mate is a different species. But not bothering to tell you which one."

"Ouch. Well, I hope you aren't too disappointed."

She smiled, "much better than an elcor." She reached for the console that had the collars on it, and they slowly relaxed as they talked about the different ones. They finally decided on a dark blue.

As they waited, he told her a bit about the fleet, and she told him about the bakery. She had to explain what a pie was. About 30 minutes later the asari came back, handed them the filled out forms, and they read over and signed them. Once done she placed the order for the binding collars. She assured Vaal his suit would be ready before the ceremony and sterilized inside and out. The chapel had a certified clean room, and it would be waiting there for him. Their new apartment would be ready in a month and arrangements were made at the lower ward clinic for him to be able to use the clean room whenever he wanted, as long as it wasn't already occupied, until then.

"We will have a crate with your food and other necessities delivered to your apartment in about two hours. Now Miss Shadewell, if you would please follow me we can begin your vaccinations, and the doctor will explain the use of the herbal supplements, along with the skin and hair regimen. Vaal, I will show you to the waiting area, it shouldn't be but 15 minutes."

Cara sat in the pure white room while the doctor told her what she needed to do and how much of the herbal stuff she was supposed to take. Then he inserted a rather large vial into an auto-injector as he explained about the skin care. Before she knew what he was up to, he had jabbed the injector against her thigh. "Here is the rest of the antibiotics. One pill a day for the next 30 days. The herbals twice a day in a tea for 30 days. The gel you will need to use from now on, wash body and hair twice a day. Decontaminate the bathroom after each use, even if you only went in to wash your hands. Do not use items such as bathing sponges; they harbor bacteria that the spray can not always reach. Use disposable cloths, or buy enough to send through the washer after each use. Change sheets daily or after sexual contact. Here is the name of the detergent that you are to use. I advise you to buy one of the portable washers for your apartment. Only use that detergent. Safest possible outcome, fewer worries about cross contamination. Your clothing should not be washed in with anything else, due to potential contaminants from work. Here is a printed version of everything we went over. Any questions, log in to that website. A doctor is always available."

Less than three minutes later he was shoving her out the door, and another person was ready to go in once the room ran a decon cycle.

"I have to get back to work. I hate to ask this, but that stuff is to be delivered to the apartment, I can ask my little brother to stay at the apartment until it arrives or you could go there and wait. But I have to get back." She transferred the address for both her apartment and the store to his omni tool.

"I would like to come with you, both of us need to get used to being together before we are bound."

She shrugged, "Alright." He tipped his head, and she saw the glowing eyes narrow, she couldn't see his face, so she didn't have any idea if he was smiling, frowning, or just plain making faces at her behind that mask of his. He held out his hand, and she scratched her head before taking it in hers, it took a few minutes, but they finally managed to get her five-fingered hand to work around his three-fingered one.

They started out of the waiting room when they heard screams and shouted profanity from the large intake area. They stopped when they saw a rather strange looking human female screaming and yelling about her Soul Mate. "No, I won't. You can't make me fucking do this. It's not human; it's a god damn fucking jellyfish. It's fucking unnatural. This whole Soul Mate thing is a bunch of malarky. You have no right telling me who I can be with or not. I won't marry that thing; I won't fuck it. I'm not going to do it. These other stupid bastards may fall for your shit but not me, you have no right." The woman's screams had become louder, and Cara moved closer to Vaal. A few seconds later security arrived and subdued the female, a doctor injected her with something that knocked her out.

"I know that woman; she was at the data collection center with me. Even then she was saying she wouldn't do this. I never thought one of us would be matched to a hanar. An asari I could see because of their melding, but a human?" She whispered to him as they watched them cart the unconscious woman away.

"They will do a deep scan on the marking, with the amount of noncybernetic body modification that human had, it may have distorted her mark. Only a fool would be that careless."


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

 

 

They entered the busy bakery, and she was greeted warmly, not so with Vaal'Res. The customers were looking at him with suspicion and whispered comments.

"Vaal'Res vas Tesha, this is my mother, Darla. My father, Sam. My adopted sister, Marcy and I have no idea where my younger brother Max is. Everyone this is Vaal'Res. He is my Soul Mate."

"Oh, uh, hello there." Her mother said to him as her dad looked him over.

"A quarian? I heard of your people but never met one. Don't think any of us have, so don't be offended by anything we say or do. We don't know much about you is all. So, my son in law, huh?"

"Yes, sir. I just arrived from the fleet a few hours ago. I haven't met many humans. I did see a few while on pilgrimage but had no reason to interact."

"Huh, they didn't even give you time to rest? Get your bearings so to speak." Her father leaned against the counter as her mother went to help the customers.

Vaal let out a laugh, "No, they picked me up at the dock and stuck me through the decon procedures before I could get a word in edgewise. After that came the medical stuff, the scans, making sure my suit had no unrepaired ruptures or tears. The medics used enough autoinjector needles on me to fill a small cart. All before even telling me I had a female human for a Soul Mate."

"At least they told you, I had no idea until you came through the door." She put her box on the table next to Vaal's. "Marcy, since Max isn't here I need you to do me a favor. They are bringing his supplies to the apartment, can you go there and let the people in to drop them off." Marcy nodded, her eyes wide open still staring at the quarian. Marcy jumped as Sam cleared his throat and she took off running for the door.

"Dad, they are getting us a new apartment, and we took out a small loan to get the things we need for it. They are giving us a bunch of stuff to start with, but there is a lot we need to buy on our own."

Her dad frowned at her, "A loan? Why didn't you just come to me? I would have given you the money."

She shook her head, "No, you just paid this place off. And it's not something like sheets. We need a portable wash-n-dry, a food processing thing for Vaal so he can have something other than paste from a tube to eat. There are other things too. It's reasonable payments, and they said the new apartment won't cost much more than the one I have now."

"And don't forget about me. I may be a quarian, but I do have employment. I am going to be working at The Salvaged Goods and Repair." He shrugged, "it isn't much, but most quarians wouldn't even get an offer. Maybe after I'm there a while, I can look for better employment."

"Hmm, well, don't you go taking out any more loans. If you need something, you can come to me; that's what family is for. We'll help each other. At least if something breaks around here, I know who to call." They all started laughing. The tense atmosphere had eased somewhat after the initial shock and wariness had worn off. "It's time for you to get back to work, your mother has kept those pies baking, but I think the ones you made this morning are all gone now."

He patted Vaal on the shoulder before turning and going back around the counter, boisterously calling out to some customers that had just entered.

 

* * *

 

While Vaal sat on the stool, she explained what she was doing, nudging him when a poof of flour left her face with white smudges, and he started laughing. He helped by taking the cooled pies out.

She found him fiddling around with the oven when she turned to put a tray in. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a scan, making sure nothing is wrong with it. I noticed some of the pies had slightly darker edging on the one side. It may be indicative of a heating element starting to malfunction. After you close, I'll take a look at it."

Marcy came back and let them know about the crates and took up her position by the cooling pies. Once they closed for the night, and the oven had time to cool off Vaal ran his scans once again. He told her the element was going to need replacing soon or it would start to burn the pies on one side since it was heating up hotter than it should.

"Alright, go let my father know while I finish up this last batch of crust."

"Cara, do you really have to marry that guy? He's a stranger and a quarian at that. You heard some of the things that people say about them. Thieves, suit rats and that's just some of it. No one hires them here because of what their people did with the geth. How are you guys going to be able to pay the bills?"

"It's about time people stopped treating them that way. What happened with the geth was hundreds of years ago, and as long as people hold onto those prejudices, it only causes them more hardships. None of them had anything to do with that; it was their ancestors. You know as well as I do, if not more, that when faced with hardships you do what you need to do to survive. He's got a job, not a great one, but it's something, and I have my job here. We'll be alright."

"At least he isn't taking you from the Citadel. I overheard one of the customers whispering about how he saw one of those krogan dragging off the human he was bound to while her parents were crying. From what he said they still haven't heard from her and the Soul Mate facility won't help them. They don't know if she's on Tuchanka or even still alive. I'm not so sure this whole Soul Mate thing is a good idea. Or at least it needs some serious rethinking. Things like that shouldn't happen. There should be safety measures in place."

"I'm sure there are, maybe there should be another agency that would look into that sort of thing. And you know that it isn't often that krogan are bound to non krogan or asari." She put the filled trays into the cooler and turned to her sister who had started to wash down the equipment. "It's a lot easier for him to live here than it would be for me to go to the fleet. I wouldn't be able to remove the suit, they pretty much live in those all the time unless it's in their own clean spaces. It would be a much larger adjustment for me to make and I would probably be driven mad before I could get used to it."

Vaal had heard the last part of the conversation as he came through the door. "Not only that Cara, but the quarians have specific housing and population requirements. The quarian couples can not have more than one child unless the population falls too far and our Conclave agrees. Even one person over the limit set by them can cause a hardship on the entire fleet. So if something like this happens or if an employment opportunity arises we take it. It eases the burden on the fleet. We still help by sending back credits or more importantly salvage for them to repair the ships or items on board. We fix things that most people throw away because they want something new or they don't want to spend time in having it repaired."

He leaned back on one of the tables, "There are also the young ones that go out on Pilgrimage and not return. Whether something happens to them or they just decide not to return or simply can't find something as a suitable gift to obtain their adult status is anyones guess. Their marks are scanned and sent in to the facility, but until they are legally designated as adults in our culture they can't be called in if a match is found. Also there is the mandatory service for our Marines for two years serving as a sort of police force on the ship we are accepted on. Otherwise, well, we would have met about four years ago. It took me a while to find something suitable, finally I found a derelict ship and was able to get it repaired enough to get it to the fleet, fix it up and present it. I had been notified at that time I had a mate, but still needed my two years of duty before I could be formally called. And they didn't wait a day longer than those two years either. The morning of my last day they showed up and told me to be on the Citadel the next morning. I packed a few things, said goodbye to my Captain, friends, and family then boarded the transport and here I am."

He shifted before standing up straighter, "Speaking of family, I need to contact my parents. If you don't mind, I would like for them to meet you and your family."

Cara let out a squeak. "Now? But I'm a mess. I have flour all over me, and I'm sweaty from working all day. Can it wait until tomorrow?"

He tipped his head, "I promised them I would contact them as soon as I heard about you, but held off since we were busy for so long."

She twisted her fingers together. "Let me run upstairs and shower first. I have some clothes here for emergencies. I can shower again with the other stuff when I get back to the other apartment." He gave her a nod, and she took off running.

Her parents came to the back and asked what happened to cause Cara to run through the store and up the stairs like someone lit a fire under her. Vaal laughed then explained.

 

* * *

 

They all went up to the small apartment above the store and waited for Cara to finish. Vaal looked at the holos adorning the walls and asked about some of them that clearly hadn't been taken on the Citadel. Sam told him about their previous home. Cara still hadn't returned when they heard the door open, and a young male voice yelled out that he was home. A child of 14 came running through the apartment sliding to a stop as he caught sight of the stranger.

"Who're you?" He asked as he tossed his bag on the chair.

Sam cleared his throat, "Max, this is Vaal'Res he is your brother-in-law, or soon will be. He is Cara's Soul Mate."

The boy gave him another once over, "But Dad, he's not human."

"No, I'm a quarian, and this is as much a surprise to me as it is for you and your sister, I'm sure." He had turned around and looked once more at the holos on the wall, giving the boy a chance to look him over without staring back at him.

"You gonna be staying here with Cara? Or you gonna try and take her away, cuz I won't let you take my sister."

"Max! That is enough, go to your room." His mother yelled from where she had been standing in the kitchen making them drinks.

"No, Max. Your sister and I will be staying on the Citadel. Other than maybe a trip to the fleet once in awhile, so I can see my family and let them get to know Cara, I do not foresee us being away from here." He glanced over at the boy and saw his father shaking his fist at him.

"Yeah, well, just so we're clear and all. You hurt Cara, and my dad and I will kick your ass." He heard the boy's mother yelling again and watched as the kid grabbed up his bag and ran for one of the doors; ducking as a large ladle went whizzing over his head.

"Sorry about that, Vaal. I don't know what we're going to do with that boy," Sam said to him as his wife brought over drinks, apologizing that they didn't have anything other than bottled water for him.

"It is fine; I doubt any of us could have prepared for something like this. It will be a large change to deal with; having someone like me here. But don't worry, I have plenty of filtration devices and other software built into my suit, so bottled water or dextro safe drinks would be perfectly acceptable. And if you were curious, my people only eat dextro grains, fruits, and vegetables. Animals are not a viable resource for living on one of our live ships."

They spoke some more about what it was like in the Fleet while waiting for Cara. When she finally came down announcing she was as ready as she could be he looked up at her and tipped his head, the eyes glowing behind his mask squinted, and she wasn't sure if it was because he smiled or something else. She was starting to hate that mask and how it hid everything from her.

They all situated around the couch, and Cara's dad yelled for the two kids to hurry up and get out here to meet Vaal's parents. When they were ready Vaal used the link to connect his omni tool to the family's holo projector and placed the call to his parents.

"Vaal? Is that you? Hold on a minute; your mother just left to start her shift at work, let me get her on the line then we can switch to video." A deep heavily accented voice came over Vaal's omni tool. Several clicks and a hum then the video screen activated. A split screen showing two quarians appeared, "Vaal, it's about time... a human?" The light on the female's masked blinked as she spoke. Everyone had grown quiet until Cara cleared her throat.

"Um... hello Mr and Mrs. uh...", she nudged Vaal with her elbow.

"Oh, Mother, Father, this is my Soul Mate Cara Shadewell and her parents Sam and um... Darla. Her younger brother Max and sister Marcy. Err... everyone these are my parents, Jaan'Res vas Qwib Qwib and Mia'Res vas Qwib Qwib."

Cara heard a snorting giggle from behind her, and her face turned red.

 "Qwib Qwib...", her brother let out another snort, and Cara swung around, got up on her knees and swatted at her brother. 

"Stop it, or I'll wring your scrawny neck like a chicken's."

Vaal had leaned away from her as she bounced around on the couch trying to hit her brother. Sam hissed at them both to stop acting like children in front of the in-laws. "Sorry about that, uh... not sure what to call you. Mind if I just call you Jaan and Mia?" Sam said as he watched his daughter turn back around with a last shake of her finger and try to straighten her appearance again. He heard his wife hissing at their son, threatening to take away his gaming privileges for a month if he said one more word about it.

Vaal covered his mask with one of his three fingered hands and waited. "Oh... sure, that will be fine...uh, Sam was it?" He heard his father say. He felt Cara's hand wiggle around under his other one, and he waited, feeling her spreading her fingers around his.

"Yep. Guess this is about a big a shock to you folks as it was to us. When my little girl here came home with a quarian by her side, well it wasn't something we were expecting. But he seems a good lad. Have a bit of adjusting on everyone's part but not to worry; we'll take good care of him."

When no one else said anything, Darla leaned over the back of the couch. "So I guess we should tell you a bit about the family. We own a small bakery here on the Citadel, both levo and dextro-based. Cara here makes the pies, a type of dessert, that everyone just loves. And what about you both?"

"My wife works at the bioengineering lab, helping to find ways to enrich the soil on the live ships. I work in our technical engineering lab." The silence was deafening.

Sam cleared his throat again and slapped his thighs, "Well, guess we better get out of here and let you get to know Cara a bit. Nice meeting you folks. Maybe you can come to the Citadel sometimes for a family get together."

After the others had left the room Cara glanced over at Vaal; he still had his mask covered by his hand.

"Vaal?"

"Yes, Mother?" His modulated voice sounded tired even to Cara's ears.

"Are you sure..."

She was cut off by her husband, "So, Cara, was it? Your parents said you worked in a bakery?"

They spoke for a while longer. The conversations stilted on both ends. "Well, we really should get back to work now. Call us before your bonding ceremony, so we can at least see it by vid, or if that isn't possible send us a recording." His father told him and clicked off his connection. His mother twisted her fingers and told him to call her again later when he was at his hotel. Vaal reminded her that as Cara's Soul Mate, he was living with her and didn't have a room at a hotel.

"Oh, well, when you get a free moment that we can talk in private, call me. I love you." The holo-screen went dark and disappeared when the link was closed.

They sat there in silence until Darla called out to them asking if they were staying for dinner. "Um.. not tonight, mom. We got to go to the apartment to uh, check those boxes and I'm sure Vaal is tired. Maybe tomorrow night?" He squeezed her hand, and she let out a slight breath.

"Okay, dear. That will give us time to get some food here for Vaal when you come visit."

He let out a quiet sigh as they stood up and headed toward the door. "We're heading home now. See you in the morning." Cara called out to her parents. Before they could make it out the door, both of them arrived.

"Now son, don't you worry none. Things have a way of working out. It was just a shock to all of us is all. I know we're a bit unconventional, but you'll get used to us in no time." He patted Vaal on the shoulder again, "and remember you aren't married to my little girl yet, so no hanky panky."

"DAD!" Cara was mortified, her face had started to change colors, and it intrigued Vaal. He'd have to ask about it later when he wasn't so tired or upset about how the call home had gone.

"No need to worry about that sir. No, uh, hanky panky until after the marriage." Vaal let out a small laugh and couldn't help returning the human's grin with a small one of his own; they just couldn't see it.

"Now dear, pay no attention to my husband. He's just teasing. Welcome to family, Vaal." Darla kissed the side of his helmet where she supposed his cheek would be could she have seen it. "You two get on out of here, and we will see you in the morning, Cara. Let us know if you need anything."

The ride to her apartment was tense and quiet. She had apologized for the way she had acted. He told her not to worry about it. He had the feeling he would be apologizing to her about his own parents soon. Maybe not so much his Father, but he could tell his Mother wouldn't be quite so ready to adjust to having a human as part of the family. When they had left, they had all assumed it would be another quarian or maybe an asari. Not a single one of them had thought about a human.

 

* * *

 

Cara led him to her apartment. Her nosy neighbor opened the door as they went past, "Good evening, Mrs. Jebowski. This is my Soul Mate, Vaal'Res vas Tesha, he will be living here until the end of the month, so I'm sure you will be seeing more of him around."

"Hmph. A quarian. Don't you go messing with stuff around here and turning it into those intelligent things, you hear me, boy?" The little old lady said to him as she shook her finger at him.

"Yes, ma'am. No making the toasters intelligent. Got it."

"Hmph. Good. Now, Cara, you said until the end of the month? Is he leaving you then?"

"No, ma'am we are moving to a different apartment. One that would be more suitable for the two of us."

"Well, don't you go forgetting about your old neighbor now, girl. Come by once in a while and keep this old woman company." Cara told her she would, and they said their goodnights.

When they finally made it inside the apartment, Cara started to laugh. "Intelligent toasters?" He shrugged and let out a laugh as well. Cara showed him where everything was and they set about moving things around, so he had room for his food and items that he needed. She went into the bathroom and threw out everything that she couldn't use any more, replacing it with what the Soul Mate Project people had sent.

When they sat down to eat she started a list of everything they would need to buy. The list kept growing bigger the more they thought and recalled what they already had and what was needed. When she went in for her second shower Vaal looked back over the list and tried to prioritize things. There was just so much and most of it would be on her and her family to provide past what the loan covered. He only hoped that his job would pay enough to help out. He made a mental note to remind his parents that for a while he wouldn't be able to send anything home as paying bills would need to come first and coming by credits as a quarian was difficult.

They sat for a while trying to become a bit more used to each other and spoke of their childhoods. Then the day they went to register their markings. Eventually, she couldn't hold back her yawns and stood up.

"Um... I don't know...", she was twisting her fingers.

"If you have an extra pillow I can bunk on the couch. Since for now, I can't remove my suit, until after your round of supplements are done, and we get the new apartment, it would just be more comfortable for you if I stayed out here. That way you won't be having to deal with the metal on my suit."

She nodded and hurried to her bedroom grabbing the extra pillow from the side of the bed and took it out to him. "Maybe we can get a cot or something, that couch isn't long enough. Goodnight, Vaal."

"Goodnight, Cara. See you in the morning."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 

Cara didn't sleep well at all that night. Every movement that Vaal made startled her awake, every creak of the couch made her jump. She was a nervous wreck by the time the alarm went off.

Once she was done showering and dressed for work, she saw him sitting at the small table in the kitchen. "I didn't know what you ate or drank for the first meal of the day, so I didn't make you anything." He pointed to a small tube and cup with what looked like a straw sticking out from it. "This wonderful feast, however, is what I usually will have. Rather appetizing isn't it." He gave a small laugh.

She grimaced, "If you say so. We'll get that food sterilizer as soon as we can. But I usually work every day. Maybe we should do the actual shopping by extranet?" Cara was standing at a small machine, and he got up to watch her make her morning coffee.

"We can do that. How did you sleep?" The light on his mask flashed as he bent a little to try and look at her face. A non-committal shrug was his answer. "Ahh, then about as well as I did." He pushed off from the counter and grabbed his drink before moving to the other side of her. "So, I am due to work this morning at 8, which is in... Keelah, five hours? Do you always wake up so early?"

She let out a laugh, "yeah. I am usually at work by 4:00, have the first of the pies in the oven by 4:15. Then I start making the fresh batches of dough, filling them and putting them in to bake. Mom and Dad are usually out in the main room, cleaning and filling the drink makers and paper dispensers by then. By 6:00 the shelves are stocked with the most requested morning items and the people start to come in. And as you could see yesterday, it is non-stop until we close for the night. While they clean and do the front area stuff, I make the crusts and fillings for the next morning. Then it all starts again."

"Hopefully once we become bonded we can have a bit more time than a few hours in the early morning and late at night together."

"Maybe. We should wait and see what is going on with your job, maybe sit and talk with my mom and dad, try to come up with something." She glanced at the clock and hurriedly drank the last bit of coffee in her cup. "I gotta go, or I'm going to be late."

"I'll go with you and just head for the shop when I need to."

"You don't have to do that; you should try and get more sleep." She grabbed her coat and headed for the door; he was right behind her.

 

* * *

 

He helped carry out the tray of pies before he turned to her and told her he had to leave to go to work. He synced their omni tools and told her he would call her around lunch time and maybe they could meet somewhere. She said she would try. He squeezed her hand gently and headed out for work.

He sighed quietly as the elcor showed him to a small cramped room where he would be working. He got the feeling that the elcor didn't want anyone to know a quarian was the one doing the repairs.

He checked the repair log and gave a snort of laughter; the first item up was a toaster.

 

* * *

 

A few hours into his repairs his omni tool rang. "Crap." He let out a sigh and answered the call. "Hello, Mother. Now's not the time. It's my first day at work, and I really can't afford to be fired for personal calls."

"I just wanted to check on you, Vaal. You didn't call me."

"I know, Mother. But there isn't much to say right now. My bonding isn't until the end of the week. I'll send a message to the contact to see if we can somehow set up a live feed so you can watch it, if not we'll make a recording of it."

"But, Vaal... a human?"

He let out an irritated sigh, "Mother, our markings match. I like her. Her family is nice, once you actually talk to them. They have treated me well, welcomed me to the family. They may be a bit unorthodox, but they are good people."

"But... they are shopkeepers... a bakery? With your technical skills, they match you with a cook? And have you repairing appliances? You should be here, working in the Weapons Engineering Lab, that was what you were training to do, what you said you wanted to do. Not on the Citadel surrounded by those people."

"Mother, they weren't the ones that matched us. You know how it works. Just because you and Father aren't a soul match, don't be pissed at me actually finding mine. And I don't care if Cara is a baker. I could have just as easily hooked up with a cook or a gardener for that matter on the Fleet. Look, I have to get back to work, customers are waiting for their things. When we get settled into our new place I will try and send you back some salvage or credits for the Fleet, but Cara and our family here has to come first. Our bills need to be paid and with everything that she is having to buy or her family is buying for us, I don't feel right sending everything there when I can be using it here to ease the burden on them."

"Can't you just come back to the Fleet? I doubt that human would care if you returned to us after the bonding that they are forcing on you. It isn't as if you could have a real family with her. Come back here; we can set you up with a sweet quarian woman. The one engineer on the Taipan was hinting that her daughter was looking for a mate."

Vaal looked at the hologram of his Mother. "I can't believe you just said that, Mother. You want me to disrespect Cara, our bonding, toss out my honor because you don't want me bonded to a human? Look, I have to go. Tell Father I will send him a copy of the bonding. Goodbye, Mother." Vaal cut the connection before he could lose his temper worse. He took several deep breaths then reached for the soldering gun; he had a holo-projector to fix.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the week was the same; they placed an order for the food sterilizer and a cot. Cara and Vaal decided to wait until closer to the end of the month when the apartment was to be ready before they purchased too much more. The following day was their bonding day, and after cleaning the bakery, Sam changed the notice on the door reminding everyone that the store would be closed all day in celebration.

That night Vaal turned on his cot to face Cara, "nervous?"

"Yeah. I don't know. This whole giving a couple only a week to get to know each other before being bonded for life. It's a bit hard."

"I know, I'm nervous too. But at least we have had a week to get used to each other. From what I have heard most people don't even get that, they are bonded the day after they are brought together and choose their collars. And we just have to move to a different apartment. On the Fleet if a pair is matched they have to go through the bonding, then they have to decide which ship will be their home. They have to change their ship of record, swap out with a person that has the same job and is not bonded or mated so that the ship and Fleet remain stable."

"Sounds like a lot of paperwork." Cara laughed.

"I'm sure it is. Goodnight, Cara. I will see you in the morning." He reached up and linked his hand with hers for a moment.

"Goodnight, Vaal."

 

* * *

 

When they arrived at the chapel and scanned their omni tools and registration papers, then they were split up. An attendant showed Vaal the way to their clean room facilities while Cara and her family went to the main room to wait.

"So tell me, dear, what does a quarian look like?" Her mother asked as they waited. Cara was wearing a dress her family had purchased for the day and held a small bouquet of silk flowers, that way they could be decontaminated and used as a decoration in their new apartment.

Cara laughed, "I have no idea. Until it is safe to do so, he can't remove his suit. Well his new suit either, I guess. The Project provided him with a brand new one. Not to mention, I still have three weeks left of the medications and he has another round of immune boosters to have. Did you know he's been taking supplements and medicine for the past four years just to boost his system so when he does take off that suit and I'm in the room that it won't kill him. I'll just make him horribly ill until his body is able to build up the resistance to me."

"Oh, that dear boy. This must be even more terrifying for him then."

Several minutes passed and finally someone came to tell them they were almost ready to begin. They stood and moved to the spots the officiate told them to stand in.

Vaal came back a few minutes later in his new dark blue and gray suit. "I am so sorry for taking so long, changing suits for us is a pain in the a...err rear. Hope you like it. The first brand new suit I have had since I was a kid. The other one was Marine issued. Keelah, I'm so nervous that I had to reinstall all the software twice because I kept putting in the wrong codes. Ended up jacking my own olfactory sensors and everything was smelling like old, moldy cheese until I re-ran the diagnostics."

Sam started laughing at him, "Easy son, calm down." He patted Vaal's shoulder and guided him to stand beside of Cara.

"You look beautiful, Cara," Vaal said, the light on his helmet flashing and his glowing eyes squinted behind his black mask.

"Thanks. I see they matched the blue to what we picked out. It looks great." She touched the shoulder guard and saw their Soul Mark embossed in gray on the blue background.

"Yeah, I was surprised the entire suit was done like this. Instead of just a generic issued one with the shoulder guard colored. Not to mention this one isn't a battlesuit. Only the shoulder guard, boots, and helmet are metal. They invested in the new suit version, the cables are fiber thin and built into the suit now. Similar to what our females wear. It's going to take a bit of getting used to since for the last four years I've been wearing the heavier version."

Her eyes roamed over him, seeing there was indeed a lot less metal and cables. That meant what they were seeing was his actual body form. She blushed when her mother giggled. "I take it you like what you see?" Darla said to her.

"Mother!"

Vaal started laughing when she covered her face with both hands, only peeking out at him through her fingers.

Sam cleared his throat and raised his eyebrow at her. She could tell he was trying not to laugh because his lips were twitching.

The officiate cleared his throat and asked if they were ready. They both said they were and he started the recording.

"Join hands please then we shall begin. This is the official Soul Binding of Cara Shadewell, female human, age 22. Project Identification Number 18P2346NM393328C226 and Vaal'Res vas Tesha, male quarian, age 23. Project Identification Number 37C2740X4344N2135Y22. Both individuals have met their Government's requirements and will now be bound together for life. The marks upon their bodies are a sign, a symbol of their soul's choosing of each other. Today they will be bound together; their souls united as one."

The officiate reached for a box held by one of the Soul Mate Project officials. He handed the collar to Vaal. "This is the collar to be worn by your mate. Once in place it will become a permanent part of her body, as will yours. Place it around her neck. I will assume the Project official has yours already in place?" Vaal nodded to him as he gently put the collar on Cara, carefully lining up the markings in the back. The official checked it, making sure it was aligned properly and the marking on it matched the one on Vaal's and on the datapad.

"Excellent. Both of you understand this bonding is not to be taken lightly. Remember the two of you will be one, not to be torn asunder." When they both said they understood he entered in a code on a datapad and the collar around Cara glowed, they noticed the inside of Vaal's helmet was glowing as well, and both of them had stiffened. After a moment the glow was gone, and both of them let out a sigh, Cara wobbled a little and Vaal tightened his grip on her.

The officiate handed the datapad to the official who carefully looked it over. "The data has been registered in the Soul Mate Project files. The binding is now complete."

The official handed them each a card telling them if they had any questions to use the contact number on there, then he left.

"Congratulations on finding your Soul Mate. We shall send your old suit to the Fleet for recycling; you don't need to do anything more. I assume you have wiped the data and returned the configuration to the default settings?" When Vaal told him he had, the officiate marked it on a separate pad. "Splendid. If you would, please input your ID code so we can get it packed up immediately."

He transferred a copy of the receipt to him, then handed the framed holo of their binding document, an OSD of the ceremony, and wished them a good day and a happy life. As they left, they saw several more couples waiting to be bound. All of them looking terrified.

 

* * *

 

Cara's parents took them to a small restaurant that AVINA listed as dual chirality. They had garnered several looks and more than a few whispers as they walked through the ward and into the place. Everyone was commenting on her collar or their matching colors. "I feel like a freak in a spectator show," she hissed at Vaal as they sat around the table.

"I can't tell if it's because of being soul bound or because we're a mixed species couple. Then again it may be because I'm a quarian in a different type of suit." He said back to her, only the light flashing gave anyone an idea he was actually speaking, as his whisper was low enough that only Cara could hear him clearly.

After they had placed their orders, he loaded the OSD into his suit's data storage and sent a copy to his Father. He didn't bother to send a vid call. All he had to say was said when he sent a message after he put on the new suit.

They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the shopping district, noting prices for goods and comparing items on their list.

"Have either of you heard anything more about the new apartment? If it will be ready or not? Or even where it's going to be?" Sam asked as he watched them picking through the sheet sets in the bargain bin of the Bed and Bath Linen shop.

"No, sir. All they told us was it would be ready at the end of the month. They would send us a packet with the information in it when it was ready to move in to." Vaal pulled out a set of pea green and yellow striped sheets and made an ugh noise, tossing them into one of the other bins.

"Cara, why are you two picking through these bins? You know this stuff isn't the nicest colors or in most cases even decent quality," her mother said as she dug into the bin marked bath towels.

"Because we need about seven sets along with the blankets. We have to change them every day, and I don't have time to be washing each set and putting it back on again and we can't afford that many of the better sheets."

"But honey, those things will be terribly scratchy. Let us get you the bed linens as your marriage gift. You can use the money that will save for better bath linens for you both. You'll just need to pick out what you want for a housewarming gift from us after that. Maybe a nice couch or we can splurge and get you one of those queen size beds with that wonderful new type of mattress. You know the one they say is hypoallergenic and supportive, it also has that VI built in for automatically adjusting to pressure and temperature control for both of you."

"Mom, that thing costs a fortune. We don't even know if a queen size bed will fit in the bedroom or anything else about it."

"Then why the hell are ya'll standing there rooting through those bins?" Sam asked as he picked up a strange looking brush and pushed the button on it causing the head on it to vibrate and swirl.

"If we happen to find several sets in a double we can then just get a double bed, that one will fit in the room, at least we're sure it will since the place is for the two of us."

Cara held up a set of checkered blue and orange sheets and Vaal grabbed it from her and threw it into a different bin. "Hell no," he muttered as Sam laughed at them.

"Come on you two and no arguing, young lady." Sam said to them and pointed to the wall where the better sheets were on display.

 

* * *

 

The linens were stored at her parent's apartment until theirs was ready. As they walked past Mrs. Jebowski's apartment she opened the door again and congratulated them before closing it. Vaal just shook his head. After Cara opened the door, he picked her up causing her to laugh as he carried her inside.

They had just laid down to sleep when his omni tool went off. He let out a sigh and went to the living room before he answered it.

"Hello, Father. It's rather late here and we have to be up at 0230 in the morning to get ready to go to the bakery." Vaal's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Sorry, Vaal. I just wanted to let you know that I watched the bonding vid you sent. Your Mother ... had something else to do just then. I just wanted to congratulate you both. I'll talk to her, try to get her to understand. Don't feel like you can't call to talk to us. I do hope you and Cara will be happy. It looks like they even provided you with the next generation suit. Those aren't even common here on the Fleet yet. It looks good on you, son."

"Thank you, Father. I'll be sure to pass it along to Cara. The suit is going to take a bit to get used to, it's quite different than our usual ones. I won't be able to send anything back to the Fleet for a while. Things here are expensive and the loan we took out won't cover everything. Cara's parents already bought us things and will be helping us out with more when we get the new place. But I can't let them do more than that. They just finished paying off their business loan and I don't want them to go into debt because of this."

"Don't worry about that, Vaal. Your mate has to come first, the Fleet knows that. If there is anything we can do let us know. Now, I better get off of here so you can get some sleep. Goodnight, Vaal."

"Goodnight, Father."

Vaal went back and laid on his cot with a sigh, "everything alright, Vaal?"

"Yeah, it was just Father congratulating us on our bonding." He rolled over toward her and reached up to brush his finger down her cheek, the sensors in his suit registered the softness of her skin, before laying back down.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

 

The rest of the month flew past, when they had arrived back at their apartment the package was waiting for them at the front desk. The new apartment was ready to be viewed the next day. They would need to be moved from the old one to the new one by the end of the week. Cara sent her parents a message and they sent a reply, they would close the store the day after tomorrow and help them pack and move. They could stay with them if they needed to until everything that they would need to order arrived.

That night they went through their list and ordered the essentials they would need. Vaal sent a notice to his employer for that day off as well, explaining the need for the move.

 

* * *

 

Since the apartment was on a different ward they took a skycar to the nearest stop. They weren't sure how long it would take to reach the shop, so they decided to take the transit back to get an estimate. It looked like they would need to leave at least 30 minutes earlier to be on the safe side in case they had to wait at the terminal. Vaal let out a groan and Cara sighed.

They entered the building and handed the asari at the desk their paperwork. She scanned it in then had them enter their information into the terminal, along with scanning their omni tools to add the keycode software to it. They chose their passcodes and she told them to take the elevator to the third floor, take a left when they got off and go to the end of the hall.

When they reached the end of the hall, they scanned their omni tools and a warning came up notifying them of a decon cycle would be run before the door opened. A barrier rose up around them and the decon mist filled the chamber. After the lock changed from red to green they entered into another chamber. Vaal saw this one had an assortment of coverings that could be put on over clothing. Once more a light decon cycle was announced and ran before the interior door opened.

The apartment was completely empty of items. It was pure white and all the fixtures were easy to clean and disinfect metal. "Well, this is bright and cheery." She muttered. She opened the cooler and turned it on after noting that the shelves on the left were blue and the ones on the right were red. The freezer section was divided and also color coded.

They opened doors seeing one bedroom, it was fairly large at least so they had room for a dresser and the nightstands that would match the bed they ordered. Vaal opened his omni tool and added the furniture to the order. They had a full bath that connected to their bedroom and a small closet. There was a small half bath off of the living room area which Vaal was thankful for. When they had visitors they could lock their bedroom down so he had less to worry about if someone forgot to run the decon cycle after using the bathroom.

"Well it's bigger than the other one at least." Cara said as she watched him programming the units auto decon system. He added warnings to the bathrooms that would activate after each use to run the system. He set it up to run a full cycle in the mornings after they left for the day. The apartment would remain sealed while they were gone so they wouldn't need to run a full cycle when they got home as well.

"So how will this work with you, Vaal?"

"After both the decon cycles at the door are run my suit can be taken off. I can do that in our bathroom and run another cycle before putting on regular clothing. As long as no one else comes in I won't need to keep my suit on all the time. When we have visitors though it would be safer for me to be in my suit. We will also need to run a full decon after they leave. I would also ask that no one goes in our bedroom or uses our bathroom. It will help to limit any possible exposure to pathogens for me. Especially since I will be ... uh, unprotected completely in those areas."

"I'll remain in my suit for a while yet. I'll need to get one more booster before I even think of sharing the open air space with you. I just have to work up the courage to do it. This isn't a small thing, Cara. As a child we receive our first suit, at that point we don't share the open spaces with anyone. When we become adults, the most intimate thing we do is to link suits. Use a neuro-stim program to... share sensations with another. Even then we become ill. Mainly only those that are mated agree to share an open air space, and usually only when we are trying to reproduce. Even then it is very dangerous and there are so many precautions taken. There is so much sickness. It is not something we do casually."

He turned toward her, "I don't want you to think that I don't want to share this with you. It is just ... hard to even think about doing so after so many years of being in this suit, unless I was alone in my own space. It will take me time to adjust."

"Vaal, this is a big adjustment for both of us. I do understand it is more dangerous for you and would never want to rush it. No matter how curious I am about what you look like under that helmet." She let out a small laugh.

"What is it with you humans and your curiosity. Shame on you for wanting to get under a man's helmet." He laughed with her and pulled her in for a hug. "One day. Just bear with me until then. I'm not usually this big a coward."

"Nothing cowardly about it. Come on I think we are done here, let's go find out how long the trip is to the shop from here. I may have to talk with mom and dad about my schedule if it's too long."

They left and waited until his omni tool registered the decon process had started then they walked hand in hand to the transit stop.

 

* * *

 

They both let out a groan as the time registered. There was no way they could keep the same schedule and live at that apartment. They would need to leave the house by 2 in the morning for her to keep the schedule, that would give them less than 5 hours to make it home, eat, sleep, do the chores and then fall into bed for at most 3 hours of sleep. That wasn't going to work for long.

The next morning as the pies baked she talked with her parents, showed them the time schedule she would need to use and her father looked over it carefully. "Hmm, this won't do, this is too much. Until Marcy and Max are old enough to really help out we are going to have to hire someone to help, either in the early morning or during the evening hours. They can make the pies while you stock the crusts and make the fillings. All they would need to do is learn how to assemble them and slide them into the pie oven. It might take us a bit to find someone we like and can trust since those pies are what keeps us in business. It might be a bit rough until then."

She sent a message to Vaal who sent his acknowledgment and asked that she let her father know the replacement heating element finally arrived and he would install it that night after they closed.

 

* * *

 

Most of their items arrived and they unpacked and cleaned what they had, the small wash - n - dry, fit into the space under the small bathroom sink at least so that saved them a bit of space. They were waiting on the last of the new furniture, the living room set that was a gift from her parents. Vaal had surprised her with a refurbished holo projector. The owner of the repair shop told him to pick something out and if he could repair it then it was his, a bonding gift.

He was currently installing it into the ceiling of their apartment when she got a message from her parents. They told her they had placed an advertisement and would start taking applications over the next few weeks. She let them know that as soon as the rest of the stuff arrived they could be out of their hair and into their own place. With the amount of people coming in and out delivering the stuff, Vaal didn't feel comfortable staying there yet. She shook her head at the amount of times that he started up the decon cycle only giving her a shrug as he walked past yet another delivery person.

 

* * *

 

The delivery people were putting the living room furniture into place while she hung their Soul Binding Certificate on the wall. The other framed holos were already up on the wall along with the decorations they had picked up at shops during their lunch hours. Their bonding bouquet was in a glass vase that was a gift from Marcy and Max in their bedroom, along with a small glass decoration that was sent by Vaal's father. He had told her that it was the ship he had called home for two years, the Tesha.

After the men left she went and made the bed, making sure that everything had been cleaned and nothing was left behind from the delivery, Vaal hit the decon button on the way out of the place. This would be the last night spent at her parent's apartment, tomorrow night they would begin their married life at their own place.

 

* * *

 

Vaal called her from the hospital infirmary, he was going to be late showing up that night. His suit got a small rupture at work when one of the pieces of salvage was knocked from the top shelf by one of the other workers there. He assured her he was fine, all the antibiotics and supplements he had been taking had helped, but he needed to repair his suit and have another injection and some blood work done before he could meet her.

After he disconnected he let out a sigh and set out the repair kit, before taking off his helmet and suit. He sat there carefully using the gel along the small tear as the doctor came in wearing the decontaminated hazmat suit and injected him in the thigh with a mixture of antibiotics and immunoboosters. A scan was run and a vial of his blood taken. The doctor patted him on the shoulder before leaving him to finish up.

While he waited for the gel to solidify and the circuits in the suit to reform, he put his head in his hands. At this rate he wouldn't be able to come out of his suit to be with his mate for quite some time. Between his fear of the sickness that would come, the accident at work and how tired they both usually were by the time they made it home, they hadn't done much more than hold hands and say good night. Hell, he had yet to sleep in the same bed with her. Since he still hadn't taken off his suit he stayed out in the living room on the cot so she wouldn't get hurt by the remaining metal.

And she hadn't voiced a single complaint, just smiled at him as she had since they had first met and she had gotten over her initial wariness of him.

He looked up as the timer went off on his omni tool. He started the diagnostics on his suit before putting it back on. "Good news, your blood work came back clean. No contaminates present, your suit kept you safe. You will find a supply of replacement filters in the cabinet to your left, make sure you replace them all before you go."

"Thanks, Doctor." Vaal let out a sigh of relief, maybe his plans wouldn't need to change after all.

 

* * *

 

Cara looked up when the door to the back of the bakery opened and Vaal walked in. "God Vaal, are you alright? You weren't hurt were you? What did the doctor say?" He spent twenty minutes assuring her that he was fine. He helped carry the heavy containers of pre-made filling to the cooler while she loaded the crust trays onto a large multi-tiered cart.

"Your parents having any luck in finding someone to help out?"

"No, we had a lot of applicants. But some had no idea what a pie even was, others didn't seem to realize that there was more to it than just dumping stuff into a crust and serving it. Still others weren't able to keep it straight that the blue tins and trays were for the dextro pies. The last thing my parents need is for someone to mix them up and cause a bunch of turians to get sick."

"Hopefully they'll find someone soon. You can't keep going like this." He loaded the last of the red containers in the one cooler then started on the blue ones while she started moving the carts into place.

"I hope they do too. Worst case scenario, if they don't find anyone that is even remotely able to handle something as simple as this, then we close for one day a week to the public. Spend that entire day pre-making this stuff so it's easier for mom to do. But that is going to cut into the profits and make it harder for them to pay the bills more than just paying someone for a few hours a day."

When she had pushed the last cart into the cooling unit he went out to wait while she checked over everything, then hitting the decon cycle. After changing clothes up in the apartment they said goodnight to her parents and headed home.

 

* * *

 

She groaned as she exited the shower, she was so damn tired. She wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able to go on with just three hours of sleep a night. It had been three weeks already. She knew her parents needed someone that could help with the job, but even Marcy knew more than the ones that had applied for it.

Vaal handed her a cup of coffee and a heated vat grown scrambled egg and veggie wrap as they hustled out the door toward the transit terminal. In order to get an extra hour of sleep they splurged for an auto maker and her mother made her a week's worth of breakfast items in advance, all he had to do was get it heating as she was in the shower. He would strip the bed in the morning, shove it into the washer and then make the bed while she was getting her nightly shower. So far that extra hour was helping, but not enough. They were both feeling the effects of it.

 

* * *

 

Her parents had interviewed another set of applicants only one of which seemed like they may be suitable. They told her to come back the next day and would show her where she would be working and give her a paid week long trial run. If it worked out then she would be hired for a three hour shift to make the morning pies.

Darla went into the back room to let Cara know. She found her daughter leaning against the wall more asleep than awake. "Come on, sit down. I'll put the batch of pies in. We think we finally found someone to help in the mornings. She'll be here starting tomorrow for you to train. If it works out then it will give you both an extra 3 hours in the morning. I'll be here in the morning to help. Your father will close with you and Vaal for the last 3 hours, that will even a bit of it out. Hopefully it will give you and Vaal more time together. So far it hasn't been much of a marriage has it?"

"Not really. Between there not being enough time and us always being so tired we can barely stay awake long enough to say goodnight. Hopefully soon he will be able to start spending time outside his suit. Married to him for months now and still don't know what my own husband looks like." She tiredly stood up and pulled another tray of pie tins from the cart and filled them with the mixture. Her mother took them to the oven while she put the lid on the container and took it back to the cooler to get a different one.

"Sweetheart, if this girl works out why don't you and Vaal take a full day off next week. I'm sure his boss would understand. After all he has been working everyday there and helping here in the mornings and at night as well."

"A day off would be great, but we really can't afford it. We got his clean room bill from that accident at work, we had to pay for the new filters, the shop paid for the rest at least."

"It's just one day dear. And you both work so hard. You need to have time together, Soul Mate or not, if you don't grow closer to each other, then your marriage will be shaky."

"I guess you're right, I'll talk to him about it. And this all is contingent on having the new person to work out. You haven't yet told me anything about her."

Her mother smiled at her, "she is a quarian dear, just arrived on the Citadel a few days ago and has been having trouble finding work. You know how others are. But she told me about her family working on one of their live ships. Vaal told me those were the ones that grew their food. She at least knows to keep the two kinds of food separate and seemed to be fairly quick to grasp what we were telling her. When we asked why she wanted a job at a bakery she told us that she was running low on funds and needed work. She was willing to do whatever we needed done and seemed grateful for even the little bit of credits we were paying. She mentioned that she was on pilgrimage, not sure exactly what that is, and can certainly use the credits to take something back to the Fleet."

"Pilgrimages are when they are of age but not yet considered adult, they leave the Fleet in search of something of value to take back and present to the Captain of the ship they want to become a permanent member of the crew on. If it's accepted then they are considered an adult and are given that status and the responsibilities with it. Vaal found a derelict ship and was able to get it back to the Fleet, fix it up and gave it to the Captain. He said it took him two years past the time he found it."

"Hmm, well not really sure what she is going to be able to find on the Citadel like that. Anyway dear, talk to Vaal and see what he says, then just let us know."

When Vaal arrived at the bakery she told him everything her mother had said. He seemed surprised that someone from one of their live ships would be here on the Citadel instead of one of the agricultural worlds, that's usually where they went. But it was up to the one on pilgrimage to make the choice of where to go. "A full day off sounds great, the boss has been after me to take some time. He, apparently, has been impressed with my work. I doubt he would mind giving me the day. Just as long as we tell him in advance of course."

She gave him a bright but tired smile and they set about getting things ready for the next morning.

 

* * *

 

She had just yawned and stretched after loading the tray of pies into the oven when her mother came in with a female quarian following behind her. Vaal was switching out the large canisters of filling and was currently inside the cooler.

"Cara darling, this is Nina'Vonn nar Roma. She is the one I told you about yesterday. She agreed to a week long training and trial run to see if she is going to want to stay on. Nina this is my daughter, Cara. Darling, where is Vaal?"

"I'm in here, Darla. I'll be out in a minute." He called from inside the cooler.

"Well, that is Cara's husband Vaal'Res. He is also a quarian. Okay, dear, I'll let you get to work."

"Okay, where to start. Well, you must always remember that everything is color coded. Blue are for the dextro pies, red is for the levo. When I say color coded, everything from the mixing spoons to the bowls to the trays are. Always be conscious of what goes where and for whom. In the evening we make a large batch of each type of crust and each filling, all are labeled and ready for the morning pies. That's where you come in, first you check this readout. Then you pull the appropriate crust and filling. Use the correct ladle, put three scoops of the filling into the crusts. There are six pie tins with crusts on each tray on each cart shelf, so you fill one full tray of the same type of pie. Then carry it to the oven. Place it here on the belt then enter the correct code in the terminal. The oven does the rest. When it's done baking the belt moves it out of the oven and deposits the tray on the cooling rack. When this timer goes off, either my younger sister, if she is here, or my mother comes in and takes the pies. By that time the next set of pies from the readout should be ready to slide down on the cooling rack. That's about it."

"Sounds easy enough. I don't have to actually make any of the ... crusts or fillings correct?" The female asked her as she looked around the room.

"No. I make more than enough the night before. All you need to do is follow the readout and the instructions I gave you and everything will run smoothly."

"Cara, I need to go talk with Sam, we need to make some adjustments to the levo cooler."

"Vaal, this is Nina'Vonn nar Roma, she is the one I told you about. Dad should be out in the main room. It's not broken is it? The cooler I mean."

"No, not broken. The temp readout is fluctuating more than it should, probably just needs to be cleaned and adjusted. I'll let him know then check it after closing tonight, make sure to save me some of that edria berry pie. I'll stop by the diner and grab your favorites on the way here. I gotta go, call you at lunch. Nice to meet you, Nina'Vonn."

"You really are mated to a quarian. How did you talk him into that?"

"Talk him into... I didn't talk him into anything. Vaal is my Soul Mate, not just my husband." Cara turned to the young quarian who was still looking toward the door where Vaal had just walked through. "It's time to get to work, we have a lot to do and not much time to do it in."

 

* * *

 

  
Cara just finished dumping a large vat of dough into the crust machine when Vaal came through the door. "Hey Cara. How was your day? Is that helper going to work out?"

"I'm not sure and it's been a long day." Cara started dumping ingredients into the vat to make another batch of dough while Vaal looked at her, he got the feeling something was off, she never was quite so short when she spoke to him.

"Okay... I'll just be in the cooler then."

Several times he heard her slamming down bowls or muttering to herself as he took apart the temperature control, testing it and running more diagnostics, finally finding the loose wire and fixing it. He put it back together then stood in the doorway watching Cara. Something had her upset.

After they were done for the night they headed home, Cara not talking much and Vaal worried about her, wondering what had happened between the time he left and when he came to pick her up.

She jammed her meal into the warming unit while he added the pie to the sterilizer. He watched as she headed toward the bedroom and sighed. When she came out he went to make the bed then grabbed his pie, now sterilized, pureed and squashed into a tube and sat down to eat with her. She had barely looked at him the entire time.

"Cara, what's wrong?" His voice was soft as he stood in the doorway of their bedroom and watched her turning down the bed before she climbed into it.

"I'm just super tired tonight, Vaal. Things didn't go as well as I had hoped this morning. I'm hoping it'll get better. Good night."

 

* * *

 

Vaal was helping her to fill the pie crusts for the dextro pies when Nina finally showed up. She was almost an hour late. "Sorry about being late, didn't realize that it would take me so long to walk from the turian shelter."

"You need to be on time in the mornings. Leave earlier tomorrow. The pies on the rack are ready to be taken out to the store front. If you wouldn't mind doing that while we finish up this next set." Cara said to her as she carried her tray to the oven.

"Good morning, Vaal'Res. How was your day yesterday? I like your suit, that's one of the new models for civilians isn't it?" Nina asked him, she hadn't made a move to the pie rack yet.

"Good morning. You should be taking the pies out now, we are already running late." Vaal picked up his tray and slid it into the dextro holding rack. He picked up his canister and took it into the cooler. He stood there for a moment to see what was going on. Nina seemed to be taking her time moving toward the pies and he started to figure out what was going on when Cara walked over and carted them out instead and returned to get the other one before Nina had made it halfway to the rack. He grabbed the next two filling containers and went back out.

"Nina'Vonn, here are the next two fillings for the pies. While you fill them I need to have a word with Cara." He sat the containers down then took Cara by the hand out to the main room. "Cara, is that why you said it didn't go well? Did she do any of the work yesterday? Or did she do the same thing?"

"She's still just learning. Maybe she's hesitant that she'll mess up. Vaal, I have to get those pies made. Mom and Dad will be down shortly and if those racks aren't ready they can't open on time."

"Cara, if she's not doing her job don't let her stay. It will just mean more work for you." He brushed her hair behind her ear and she leaned into him slightly with a sigh.

"Vaal'Res, I can't get the container open. Would you mind coming in and helping me?"

He felt Cara stiffen and move away from him.

"Why do I think there is more to it than just the pies?" His voice was low as he watched Cara walk back into the kitchen area.

"How long have you been away from the Fleet? You probably can't wait to get back among your own people. I have only been gone a short time and can't wait until I can finish my pilgrimage and return."

"I'm not planning on going back for a long time. My family is right here, with my Soul Mate, her parents and family. They are now my family and I'm quite happy here with her." Vaal said as he popped the top of the easy to open canister. "Next time all you need to do is push this button." He turned his back and walked over to stand next to Cara. His hand moved to brush a bit of flour off her cheek in a light caress. She looked up at him with a smile. "Cara, I have to get to work. Remember what I said, alright. I'll see you tonight."

She let out a sigh as he left. "We need to get the rest of these pies made. You also should now know how it's done. If you can't pull your weight we'll have to let you go and find a replacement." Cara finished up the tray and prepared for another one. She didn't see the way the girl's eyes narrowed at her.

Two hours later Nina left, she barely filled half a cart of pies. Cara was trying to get the rest of it all done as her mother came through the door.

"Good morning dear. How is your assistant working out, she seems like such a nice girl."

"I don't think she is going to work, mom. See the dextro carts? Vaal filled the first two carts along with all the ones that we already had out there. Nina filled 3 shelves on one cart in two hours and she was late by an hour this morning. I don't know if I'm going to be able to get it all done."

"Oh dear. Let me tell your father then I'll come back and help you out."

 

* * *

 

"Was today any better?" Vaal asked as he loaded trays onto a cart.

"Not really, I don't know Vaal. We need help. The two of us needs to rest, for gods sake you work almost two full jobs and only get paid for one. And we have no time together, it's like we aren't married at all. Father told me that they had an agreement for a full week, so she will have to stay here until the time is up. If at the end of the week things aren't any better he will let her go and close the shop for a day so we can rest."

"Alright, come here a second." He tugged on her and enfolded her in his arms. "Things will get better."

"I'm just tired is all. Let's get this finished then go home."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW chapter. Enjoy.

 

 

The next morning they were greeted by Nina standing and waiting for them.

"Good morning, Nina. Glad to see you here on time, ready to get to work?" Cara asked as she opened the door.

"Yes, I am. Sorry for the way things were. I really need this job and will do better."

Cara raised an eyebrow and gave her a brief nod, her eyes glancing at Vaal and seeing his own narrow slightly. The morning went much smoother than the last ones had.

"Vaal'Res, do you know of anyplace that has quarian food? I have been eating the rations given out at the turian shelter and really miss the food we grow on the liveships, don't you?" She was standing in the doorway to the dextro cooler where he was arranging the containers.

"There is the Quarian Gardens. You can purchase fresh grown food from their sealed greenhouses and they will sterilize it for you, or buy their pre-sterilized meals. We usually just purchase it fresh and sterilize it when we get home. Or you can go to the cafe on Zakera ward, the one next to the C-Sec headquarters, they have meals from the Garden there."

"Oh, you have your own sterilizer. That would be better than to trust the ones that non-quarians have access too. You never know what those people would do to them, you know how they are. Do you think I could come by and use yours after I buy my groceries?"

"No. Cara and I are the only ones to use it. The ones at the Garden are run strictly by quarians and they will do it for you for a very small fee. Excuse me. It's time for me to go to work."

"Cara, I'll see you later tonight. We have a huge backlog of repairs. One of the others quit at the salvage yard. I'll call you at lunch." He brushed a hand along her face then left.

 

* * *

 

The end of the week couldn't come fast enough for Cara. After the initial problems with Nina, the girl actually started to work, and other than the constant flirtation with Vaal, she couldn't find a viable reason to let her go, for now. Vaal for the most part kept his answers short and didn't return the flirtation. He did tell her that the girl had shown up at the salvage yard and asked him to show her where the Gardens were, as she "couldn't find them." He told her that was what AVINA was for, then told her to go back out of the shop, hang a left and talk with the VI, he was working.

What he didn't tell her was several times someone tried to hack into his suit. Each time was when Nina was in the same room. The new suits came with upgraded protocols which he modified and enhanced with his military grade protections. Not to mention since he had originally planned on working in the weapons lab he also had even more advanced protections. The suit registered the attacks and kept the would be hacker out. They had been clumsy attempts at first. This last one though seemed to be using a much more advanced program.

Without direct evidence he couldn't accuse her of it so remained silent. Just upgrading and running the software. He did call his father and ask for a new program to help and to not tell anyone, not even his mother. When his father asked what was going on, he told him there had been a few incidents and didn't want to alarm his mother. His father sent him the program and he added it to his system. He just didn't know why someone was trying to hack his suit's databanks. He could see it if he somehow pissed someone off and they tried to mess with his olfactory or auditory sensors but trying to hack in and see what files and programs he had in his suit?

He glanced up and saw Nina check something on her omni tool then ladle more filling into a pie crust. One of his monitors told him the current attack, that was still trying to find its way past the new programs, was now trying to find an exploit in one of the general protection suites that came with the new suit. He had found those and plugged them up before even leaving the clean room of the Bonding Center.

He turned on one of the small cameras that was on the suit and adjusted it to record the girl's reactions, before heading toward Cara. He plucked the ladle out of her hands before turning her to face him. "Can't believe we finally have a full day to ourselves tomorrow. Not having to wake up so early, we can spend all day in bed. No one to bother us." He gave her a slight squeeze at her astonished look and hoped she could read the subtle tip to his head toward the girl's direction.

"We haven't had that kind of time to spend together since you arrived here and moved in with me. Well, other than our bonding night." She placed her hand on his chest after she stroked the Soul Mark on his shoulder. Earning her another squeeze and he stroked the collar around her neck, giving a chuckle.

"At least now we can spend a few extra hours in bed in the mornings. I miss those early morning, " she let out a low laugh, "talks." They both looked over when a crash came from Nina's direction.

"Are you alright, Nina'Vonn?" Vaal asked as he wrapped an arm around Cara and drew her closer to him. Her hand shifted from his chest to his abdomen, stroking him with her thumb.

"Yes, sorry. Accidentally knocked the container over."

"Hmm, I better get that cleaned up and noted for the waste document. I'll see you later tonight, Vaal." She winked at him and he chuckled.

The minute he was out of the room he input a command that not only stopped the attack, it sent back a very subtle attack of its own and registered the firewall bypass to her own suit's connection to her omni tool. He found the program she had been using and wiped it from her tool. He turned and tapped on the glass of the kitchen door, seeing the way Nina was rapidly tapping at her omni tool. When she looked up at him, he raised his arm and shut off his omni tool, not taking his glowing eyes from hers. His warning was fairly clear.

 

* * *

 

"Are you going to tell me what that was about this morning?" Cara asked quietly as they got everything ready for the following day, they had to make enough to last the entire day not just a few hours in the morning and her parents were in the room with them helping.

"I got tired of the damn adolescent flirting. She knows we are married. Hopefully it will stop as all it is doing is pissing me off, and we both need a break and that means someone to cover a few hours in the morning. I'm thinking it will stop now, at least it better."

She let out a hum and turned back to making another batch of filling.

 

* * *

 

Cara had went to bed about a little over an hour ago and Vaal waited long enough that he hoped she was asleep before he sat up on the cot. He ran several checks on his suit and the protections. Then sent a message to his father asking him what he knew about the program that he had erased. It wasn't exactly an off the shelf type of hack. He sent a note along to only open it when he was alone and to not say anything.

Then he looked toward the bedroom door. "Come on, Vaal you bosh'tet. You can do this. You've been preparing for this over four years. She follows the proper regimen, does everything she needs to minimize the risks. Get your ass up off this cot and go sleep in your bed beside your Soul Mate." He stood up took a few steps toward the room and stopped. "Come on...come on."

He walked over and hit the button to start the decon cycle then took a breath and headed for the bedroom again. The door slid open soundlessly and he walked in, she was still asleep, although he paused when she wiped at her face then covered herself up with the sheet as the mist filled the room. When she didn't move again he continued into the bathroom.

He leaned on the sink talking to himself and trying to work up the courage to take his suit off. He checked the readout and it reported that he was well within the safe limits, had been after both of the decon cycles ran when they came home. The inside of their place was as sterile as it could get with a non quarian living there. He heard the click of the sprayer shutting off and with shaking hands he reached for the first of the many seals that held the suit on.

His glowing eyes stared back at him as he looked in the mirror, "you can do this, Vaal". He swallowed then gathered up his suit and helmet, hitting the decon button and turning off the light before he opened the bathroom door.

He placed his suit and helmet on the stand beside the bed and carefully drew down the sheet. He started to slide into the bed and stopped when Cara let out a sigh and rolled over. The bed dipped down under his weight and she sat bolt upright in bed letting out a scream.

"Shh...shh. It's me, Vaal." His glowing eyes blinked at her and he held up his three fingered hand to try and calm her.

"Vaal? What the hell are you doing? You're going to make yourself sick." She yanked up the sheet to cover her nose and mouth.

"Cara," he reached out and tugged on the sheet, "it's alright." His softly glowing eyes stared at her. Her form barely visible in the dark of the room.

She lowered the sheet a little more, staring at him, only able to see the much softer glow of his unmasked eyes and the darker outline of his body. "Why? Why are you taking such a risk?"

"Cara, you are my wife. We are bonded. Meant to be together. But even after all this time we haven't ... had the time to become close. I'm finally ready to take that chance. I'll be sick for a few days so don't panic, but my body will adjust must faster to you like this. This is the only way that I can become a true husband to you. That is if you... if you want me to be."

"I - I would like that." She whispered it but he heard her and let out the breath he had been holding.

He moved slightly closer to her before giving the sheet another tug. After yet another tug she finally let go of it and it fell to pool in her lap.

She felt him move closer and then his fingers touched her hair. A gentle stroke along her head. "Cara, is it alright if I turn on the lights, just a little, just enough to see you by... and for you to see me."

"You mean I finally get up under your helmet?" She let out a shaky laugh and he laughed with her, some of the tension that had been between them fading.

"Yeah, I guess you do. So, is it alright?"

She chewed her lip and nodded, then giggled nervously when she realized her couldn't see her do it. "Yes."

A subtle shift closer to her, "VI, lights on, level one, candlelight glow." A very soft glow came from the rooms light sources on the walls.

Cara gasped as she got her first look at her Soul Mate. Her eyes traveled over the long, blue black hair that fell past his shoulders in thick ropes and intricate braids, interspersed with tiny pieces of shiny metal and very thin wire wraps. His skin was light grey with small areas of closely packed black dots of varying sizes around his temples. Those same spots traveled down his hair line to his neck and across his broad shoulders and chest, down his arms and the back of his hands.

Her eyes flicked up to his, they were still softly glowing, but not white as she thought they were, instead they had a slight bluish tint to them. She could see that his iris was also a slight blue, just a touch darker than the area around them. His nose was a lot like a well defined one of a human male, his lips were full and of a slightly darker grey. She smiled when he quirked his black eyebrow and lifted the corners of his mouth.

"Well? Still think I'm better than an elcor?"

She laughed and covered her mouth, her cheeks growing red, "yeah, much better than an elcor."

The flash of his white teeth greeted her as he gave her a smile. She noticed several of his teeth were longer and sharper near the front of his mouth than her own were. He shifted a little closer and some of his hair moved revealing his ear, "oh my god. Your ears are so cute." Then blushed even harder as he started to laugh. Said ears rotating back and forth.

"So, just my ears are cute? Not the rest of me? I'm hurt." His voice had dropped several octaves and lowered to a near whisper as he came a bit closer. "Go ahead, I know you want to. You can touch them, can touch me." His eyes flicked across her face and then searched hers. He was so close now that she could feel his body heat, smell the clean scent of him.

Her hand raised slowly, reluctantly toward him. She touched his hair, the dreads, about the thickness of her index finger were tightly knotted and smooth. She let one run through her fingers before touching the silky soft braid. She grinned as his ear rotated. Her finger lightly touched the outside of his ear, finding it soft with almost a texture of crushed velvet. Her brows drew down slightly as she ran her finger over it again.

She drew back a little ways from him and looked at him more carefully, her fingers slowly tracing the pattern of spots on his face. Then her eyebrows rose up and her mouth formed an O. "Fur, not skin, you have a very fine covering of fur."

"Something like that." His eyes searched hers again, "you don't find it too different do you? Me not having skin like you do?" His own finger traced a path down her soft cheek.

"No, it's different but not like ...oh I don't know, elcor different." She grinned at him as he shook his head. Her hand ran over his face and he let out a sigh. Her finger ran over his collar as he ran his over hers.

He leaned slightly forward as he cupped her cheek in his hand, giving her time to stop him , to tell him no, before his lips touched hers and his eyes closed. The kiss was brief, not more than a light pressing of lips before he drew back. His hand tucking her hair behind her ear as he looked at her. He brushed his thumb across her lips, she let out a sigh and he smiled. His next kiss lasted much longer, as he tipped her head and felt her hands on his shoulders. When his tongue touched her lips she gave a slight jump and a small gasp. He slid his tongue into her mouth, caressing hers and sliding over her teeth. He felt her hands move up into his hair.

When the kiss ended they were both breathing heavier, "wow," she whispered.

"Yeah, wow." His hand ran over her shirt covered shoulder, down her arm to her hand, bringing it to his mouth and placing a soft kiss on the palm. He stared into her eyes as he placed that same hand on his chest and guided it over his pectoral and to his side. He let out a small groan as he felt her flex her fingers. "I have not been touched by another person in so very long. Please, Cara."

She swallowed and her hands shook as she moved them over his body. His eyes were closed and his head was thrown back just enjoying the feeling of contact with another being. He gently cupped her face and leaned in for another kiss as her hands became less shaky and hesitant to more inquisitive. He applied gentle pressure and laid her back on the bed, his lips not leaving hers as he bent over her. He felt her moving his hair to drape over one of his shoulders as she continued to touch him. His neck, shoulder, arms, chest then back.

He touched his forehead to hers and let out a soft sigh, "Cara? Will you ... will you please mate with me? Tonight?" His eyes opened and she stared into their glowing depths. She only stared at him, he blinked then turned his head to the side, silently berating himself for asking when they only took their first step in sharing the open spaces. "It's alright. It was probably too soon to ask. I know my differences will take a while to get used to." He turned back and gave her a smile before dropping a kiss on her forehead then another soft kiss to her lips. "Goodnight, Cara."

He eased away from her and laid on the bed, his foot raised on the mattress to try and hide his reaction to her. "VI, lights off."

She rolled toward him and listened to his breathing. Her mind in turmoil. He was taking a huge risk, one that could kill him, by staying in the room with her. Yet he hadn't made a move to get up out of bed, run another decon cycle then put his suit back on. He was different, not extremely so, and he was gentle with her. Asking not demanding. Was she ready to have sex? Let alone have sex with an alien? Even if that alien was her husband and soul mate?

She tentatively moved a bit closer and placed her hand on his chest, she felt him tense up then move to place his own hand over hers, the pad of his thumb caressing the back of her hand. She moved a bit closer and laid her head on his shoulder, he shifted a little and wrapped an arm around her so she could get a bit more comfortable. His hand stroked her waist over the long shirt she was wearing.

She swallowed then slid her hand up his chest to cup his jaw and turn his head toward her, shifting upwards to replace her thumb on his lips with her own. His breath caught as this time it was her that deepened the kiss. His arm tightened around her and drew her closer to him. He let out a low moan as her lips slid over his jaw before she shifted to sit upright.

"VI, lights on, level one, single, blue glow." Her voice was soft, hesitant. A single wall light lit up with a blue glow that bathed the room in just enough light to force back some of the darkness of the bedroom. They could see each other, not clearly as they could earlier, but enough for him to see that she was slowly removing her shirt. She could have sworn she heard him swallow as she covered her breasts before she laid back down beside him and reached out a hand to run it across his abdomen, feeling his muscles clench at her touch.

He rolled propping up on an elbow and looking down into her face, "Cara? Are you really sure about this?" She reached up, moved his hair then stroked his face. When her hand slid to the back of his neck and tugged him down to her, he let out a breath and smiled.

His hands started to move on her body, he whispered of how soft she felt, how warm and smooth her skin was, in her ear. His glowing eyes taking in the way she gasped or arched her body as he touched her breasts. Leaning down to kiss along her breastbone before running his tongue over her hardened nipple.

He kissed his way back up and leaned his forehead against her, breathing heavy. He slowly took her hand in his and dragged it down his body. Over his chest and down his abdomen, slowly moving it toward his groin. He shuddered and groaned as the warm palm of her hand slid down his heavy erection. He started to kiss her as he showed her how to caress him when he removed his hand from hers, she hesitated for a moment before she slid her fingers up his shaft causing him to groan into her mouth.

His own hand slid along her waist to her hip, drawing small circles with his three fingers across her quivering thigh and up to the warm center of her. When his thick finger touched her she jumped and her hand squeezed him a little harder than he liked and he let out a slight hiss. "Cara? Are you alright?" He nuzzled her, his hand on her hip as he waited for her to calm down again.

"Yes, just startled a bit." He glanced at her, his eyes searching hers as he moved his hand back and forth across her hip then up and down her leg. When she started to move her hand on him again he touched her, his finger light and teasing along her slit, feeling her shaking. His finger eased slightly inside of her. She was so very warm and incredibly tight around his single digit. He kept sliding in further with each light thrust, hearing her gasp.

He was patient with her. At one point stopping her hand and moving it to his waist, he leaned down kissing her then went back to stroking her. Her body started shaking harder, finally hearing her cry out as his thumb brushed against the small nub at the apex of her thighs. Her body clenched around his finger and he kissed her until she relaxed again. He withdrew his finger and she gave a slight twitch.

Kissing her forehead before he rolled away from her to grab a small silver box from his nightstand. She laid there panting and watched as he withdrew something from inside it and slid it under the covers and his head tipped back with a slight grunt at whatever he did with it. Letting out a sigh he dropped whatever it was back into the box and touched the top of the container. A hiss was heard and he put it back in the drawer before turning back toward her again.

He gave a small shrug at her raised eyebrow, "the Project doctor gave it to me to use, for protection." He slid her hand down and she frowned as his penis felt different under her fingers. "It places a barrier over me." He removed her hand and shifted to lay between her legs, when she tensed up he leaned down and kissed her. "We don't have to do this if you are unsure, Cara."

She brushed his hair back and ran her hand over his face, her thumb stroking his cheekbone, "I'm sure." He gave her a smile and kissed her as he shifted slightly, she felt him separating her and a nudge at her center. She stiffened and he waited until she relaxed. He held himself up from her using his elbow and slid his other hand down her smooth thigh, lifting her leg to wrap around him, he sank into her a little more. A hiss from her had him stopping and waiting. The heat and tightness surrounding him made him grit his teeth as he struggled to hold himself back to let her adjust to the invasion of his body into hers.

As she relaxed he flexed his hips and groaned in her ear, stopping as her nails dug into his back and she arched up against him.

He stopped as he felt the barrier. "Cara?"

She gasped and blushed, "some human females have a barrier if they haven't been with a man before."

He blinked a few times then let out a breath, "I... Keelah, I wasn't prepared for this. The doctors at the Project, they didn't tell me what I should do in this situation." He stroked her hair a little as he looked into her eyes. "Cara, I haven't been actually physically intimate with anyone but you either. Only through the use of nerve stims and virtual programs, not even linked suits ... I don't know how to handle this." His eyes were drawn back to hers as she stroked his face.

She kissed him and gripped his shoulder in one hand and wiggled her other hand up under his. When his eyes closed, she took a breath then lifted her hips to his as she pulled him into her with her legs, crying out as she thrust on him hard enough to break the barrier and he sank completely into her. His own moan came from him as he felt her clenching around him. His head dropped and he began to kiss and nuzzle along her neck, his hand holding her hips against him until her body relaxed.

He slowly withdrew, stopping at her hiss. When his lips met hers again he flexed sending himself deep into her. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he slid back out, his thighs bunching and back arching as he thrust into her. He groaned as he felt her lift her hips into him, he tightened his hold on her thigh as he felt the burn in his lower belly begin. Several deep thrusts later he gasped as he spilled into her. His body pulsing in her tight sheath.

He took his time withdrawing from her. Helping her from the bed and carefully washing her in the shower, his hand stroking her arms and back, interspersed with kisses. When he was done he dried and applied medigel to her. Their sheets changed and decon cycles run, he settled next to her, refusing to put his suit back on, telling her he needed to feel her next to him. He held her tightly as they drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW - beginning of chapter.
> 
> Enjoy

* * *

 

 

Several hours later he woke feeling her hand on his face and opened his eyes, focusing on her face and he smiled at her, "can't sleep?"

She let out a huff, "too used to waking up early, I guess."

"How are you feeling, Cara? I hope I didn't hurt you too much last night."

"It hurt, but it was worth it. I heard it gets better the more you do it." She gave him a grin and he raised his eyebrow and his lips turned up into a smirk.

"Is that so? Well, we'll just have to test that rumor, won't we?" He laughed as he pulled her to him and rolled to his back, shifting so she straddled him. He gasped as her moist heat contacted his erection without the barrier. His eyes closed and he flexed, sliding his member against her.

"Vaal, you can't do that, too much risk to you." Cara groaned as he slid against her again, he was almost whimpering at the feel of her against him.

His eyes slitted open and he moved his hand to her hips, angling her slightly, causing her to moan as he slid her along him. The entire length of him rubbed against her clit and she started to shake. He shifted, his hand holding himself against her tighter then did it again and when her back arched he thrust upward sliding deep into her, almost shouting at the feel of her surrounding him.

"Vaal, oh God, stop. You'll get ...", she let out a groan as she felt him lift her up and bring her back down on him. He kept lifting her until he felt her thighs flex on their own, he let out a moan and moved his thumb toward her center.

"Cara, please, keep going. I've never felt anything so good, so right." His back arched and he began to stroke her, the faster his thumb moved on her the faster she would ride him and the sounds coming from her were music to his ears. His heels dug into the bedding as he started to thrust up to meet her downward motion.

She cried out as her body peaked, he jerked at the feel of the hot fluid from her coating over him and the way she clenched so tightly around him, his thrusts upward grew more frantic. He gasped then held her down on him rolling them before he kissed her and started to thrust into her harder. He shifted to his knees, looking down on her as he withdrew and slid in deep, faster and harder, his thumb once again working her. When her body clamped around his again he gave one more thrust then emptied deep into her.

He collapsed on her, catching himself on his forearms. "Keelah, Cara."

"That was wonderful, Vaal, but crazy. You could die...", he kissed her to quiet her.

"I won't die from making love to you, Cara. Becoming ill for a little while, that is a forgone conclusion, but I won't die." He kissed her several more times before they took care of cleaning up and once again changing the sheets. Vaal muttered how glad he was that Sam and Darla had bought them so many, but they were going to need more of them.

 

* * *

 

They awoke several hours later to a chime from Vaal's omnitool. He coughed and cleared his throat, he could feel his temperature going up and was slightly dizzy as he felt the beginnings of a fever. He flicked his wrist, activating the omni tool. Cara yanked the covers over her head and elbowed him.

"Hello, Father." His voice was a bit deeper than normal and he knew he would have to get up soon and inject the booster again, then put his suit back on so the filters and his software could interface with his implants and start to minimize the illness.

"Vaal? What are you doing out of your suit? Where are you? Have you been hurt?"

"No, Father. Can I call you back in a minute, we're still in bed. This was our only day off and we ..."

"Oh... oh. Sorry son. Cara, I apologize for the intrusion." She stuck her hand out and gave a slight wave before sliding it back under them.

When Vaal shut off the omni tool, she yanked the sheets down and glared at him. He gave a small snort at the way her hair was sticking out all over her head and her face was red from blushing.

"What?" He gave a laugh as he stood up and stretched. Her eyes roamed over him as his back muscles flexed and he rolled his shoulders, the blade of one covered with his matching Soul Mate mark. He took his suit into the bathroom to decon and change while she got dressed. She programmed a full cycle as she reached inside the cooler to bring out his sealed breakfast and took out her frozen one stuffing it into the warmer. When he came out and gave her a hug then she went to finish cleaning up.

"Father. Cara isn't in the room right now. What was so important that you used a secure channel?"

"Where did you get that program that you sent me?" Vaal's father brought up a holo screen that had data running over it.

"Remember me telling you about the incidents I was having and you sent me the extra suite of apps for protection?" He let out a cough and dug through the kit that the Project had sent and took out the booster. "Well, I found out who was trying to jack my suit. That program was being used this last time." He tossed the used injection tube before starting Cara's coffee brewing.

"Vaal, that program is one of quarian make. It was developed at a different lab about a year ago. It was an app designed to work with the neuro stim programs. It would link the programs and adapt each person's settings, to maximize the sensations from the program. But it was fundamentally flawed in that it could be attached to a hack and used without a person's consent. So the Conclave ordered it and all the work on it to be disposed of. Whoever used this program either worked on the team that designed it and stole it, or they were given the program by someone that knew about it."

Vaal sent the vid from the camera he had activated yesterday. "This is who was using it. She calls herself Nina'Vonn nar Roma, she supposedly comes from a liveship, and has gone to work in Sam and Darla's bakery. Father, Cara is coming out, I have to go. I'll update my suit and keep you informed about what is going on, not like that program would do any good since I haven't had a neuro stim installed since I found out about having a Soul Mate. Try to find out who she is and why she would do this. Without more proof I can't contact the Conclave for disciplinary action."

"Alright, son, and again I'm sorry for earlier. I never thought that you would be sharing an open space with her."

"It's fine, Father. Yes, we are sharing that and much more. Keep this between us for now. Goodbye, Father." Vaal cut the connection after hearing his Father tell him goodbye and turned to Cara.

"How are you feeling? You're voice sounds different." Cara tried to peer into his helmet only to be met with his glowing eyes and nothing more. "I really hate that helmet."

He let out a laugh and coughed. "Vaal, should we take you to the hospital?"

He shook his head, "no, Cara. This is normal for my people after the first time of linking suits or sharing the open spaces." He handed her a cup of coffee and her breakfast before sitting down with her. "My suit is already starting to help me, as are the boosters, so I'll be fine in a few days. The time of the illness will shorten as my body adjusts, I will only need a few more nights of being out of my suit before I've fully adapted to you. I just had to build up the courage the first time of removing my suit. But now that I know what it is like to have you in my arms and making love to you, nothing is going to stop me from sleeping beside you at night."

Cara blushed like mad and looked down towards her plate.

"I need to go to the Gardens today for more groceries. Was there someplace you wanted to go?"

She shrugged, "just looking around and spending the day with you is fine. I have plenty of food, and we have enough supplies for a little while."

 

* * *

 

They walked hand in hand toward the Gardens and he placed his order at the kiosk. They walked around the outer garden area and sat on a small bench to wait. He wrapped an arm around her and she leaned against him, just watching the people go by until they heard a voice calling out to him and he muttered what she could have sworn was a whole string of curses as Nina came sauntering toward them, an overly exaggerated sway to her hips that had him snorting. Then again he could have just had a stuffed up nose and cleared it.

"Vaal'Res, I didn't know you would be here today. I just happened to be walking by and saw you at the kiosk." She stood near him and cocked her hip out even further toward him.

"If you saw us at the kiosk why did you follow us to this more secluded spot before saying something? We were enjoying the peace of this spot during our day off." He stood up, pulling Cara up with him. He tucked her under his arm and as she wrapped her arm around him they walked around her, "goodbye Nina'Vonn. My Soul Mate and I have things to do before heading home and going back to bed."

Cara leaned her head on him and whispered, "what the hell was that all about?" He just hugged her to him and kept on walking. They paid for the groceries and he carried the bag while they walked around looking in the shops. They stopped at a pet store and she looked at all the fish and laughed as the space hamster ran in a wheel then they continued to walk around. They were in the bedding store when his omni tool signaled an incoming mail. He opened the message from his Father and downloaded the program. Running a cursory scan on it before sending an email back to him.

Cara picked out two more sets of sheets and blankets as he installed the program and started the suite running. It ran a deeper scan and found several weak links in the suit's protection suite. He grinned as the hack that had been trying to find a weakness, after they ran into Nina, was blocked and the application that had been used was registered in a log along with the identification code of the tool that was using it.

He swiped his omni tool paying for the bedding then sent the log as an attachment to his Father. They stopped at the bakery to see her parents and speak with several of the customers before heading home.

 

* * *

 

The days and weeks continued by as he logged more attacks and sent them to his Father to compile together so he could go to the Conclave. He just didn't know why the girl was so fixated on him when there were several other quarian males on the station at the time.

They took a half day off of work to go to the doctors to get another booster and Vaal came storming out of the exam room, the salarian doctor behind him yelling at him about not using the device that was given to him when they were having intercourse. Vaal yelling right back that he was fine, adapted to his mate and didn't need to use the damn thing and won't use it ever again. Cara sat there with her face flaming as the yelling continued all the way down the hall toward her.

He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out through the sliding door. "Bosh'tet doctor, telling me to use that damn thing. No way in hell am I going to give up feeling you clench tight around me and the way that wet heat pours over me when I make you climax and I'm deep in you."

"VAAL!" Her face was beet red as he was practically shouting and dragging her through the crowded ward toward the bakery.

He had calmed down by the time they had made it to the bakery and gave the holo frame containing the photo collection of the two of them they taken from inside their apartment to her parents.

"Oh my. So this is what you quarians look like. I may just have to take a trip to the Fleet." Darla grinned as she looked up from the ever changing holo to the two of them. Vaal started to laugh as Cara started to blush.

"I heard that, wife." Sam said as he came out from behind the counter to look at the holo. "Damn, son. No wonder Cara has been asking for more time off to spend at home with you."

"DAD!"

Sam snorted and went to the family's holo wall and hung the frame next to the copy of the one they had taken at the Binding Ceremony. Vaal had sent a copy of the collection to his Father, he didn't know if it would be placed on a wall for others to see or just tucked away somewhere.

When Sam stepped back to view the wall he announced they needed a large family portrait done soon.

 

* * *

 

It was their first day off in three weeks and they spent most of it in bed until the VI announced someone at the door. Vaal looked down at Cara brushing her slightly sweaty hair from her forehead and temples. "Are we expecting a visitor?"

She frowned as the chime rang again. "No. If it's family they would have called first unless it's an emergency. Maybe someone has the wrong apartment." He rolled off of her and she tugged the blanket off the bed as she hurried to the vid comm to see who it was. The chime sounded as she pushed the button to turn on the outside camera. "What the hell?"

Vaal came out of the room wearing a pair of loose cotton pants. "Who is it?"

Cara swung around and walked back toward him, "I think it's for you." He raised an eyebrow and walked toward the door.

"I can't believe this crap." The chime sounded again and he scratched his head, then walked away from the door leaving Nina'Vonn standing on the other side of it.

He found Cara in the shower, he heard the chime as he stripped off his pants and entered the shower with her. She looked back over her shoulder as he ran his hands over her back and hips. "Now where were we before we were rudely interrupted." The chime rang again as he lifted and pinned her to the stall wall, his lips on hers as he slid into her tight channel.

 

* * *

 

Vaal was sitting on his stool at work and sent a call to his Father. "Father, have you found out any more about what is going on? She showed up at our apartment. We didn't tell anyone where we lived other than my work, Cara's family, the Project and you both."

"No, son. I will add it to the report I've submitted to the Conclave on your behalf. From the report that had been sent back they are trying to find this 'Vonn family. The Roma has no record of this family nor does anyone else. The ID from the logs is being traced. But it looks like someone made up that name. I'll keep you informed. Thank you for sending the holos. It looks like you are both happy together. It is good."

"We are Father. We would be happier if it wasn't for this person's interference. I don't want to confront her yet. I don't want her to flee back to the Migrant Fleet and get away with this crap." He let out a sigh, "ask them to check the Pilgrimage databank. Find out how many females left during the week that she showed up. Maybe they can narrow it down by tracing her that way. She isn't wearing the adult suit so unless someone gave her one of those she hasn't been added to the adult database yet. I have to get back to work now, Father. Thank you for helping me out with this."

"You are my son, Vaal. Of course I would help you. I'll talk with you again soon."

 

* * *

 

Another two weeks went by, Nina had shown up at his work again and after asking her to leave he spoke with his boss, telling the elcor that if she showed up again not to let her come to the back. He had no idea why she was coming around because he certainly hadn't asked her to. After the elcor finally finished telling him he would let the female know that there were no visitors allowed, Vaal went back to work.

When she showed up at the apartment again he almost called C-Sec on her. Instead Cara just ran her hand up his chest and told him if he called C-Sec they would have to put their clothing back on or in his case his suit and decon everything. By the time they had left, it would be late into the night cycle and they would have wasted their evening off. He let out a growl then smirked, he kissed her until she groaned then he turned her, placing her hands against the wall and slid his finger into her wet channel. He pulled his finger out and thrust hard into her, over and over until he felt her tightening as she almost reached her climax. Then he "accidentally" hit the intercom button, holding it in as they groaned and panted. His eyes flicked from his mate up to the camera for a moment just as Cara screamed out his name and he groaned out hers. He smirked as he saw the quarian back away from the door and go storming off.

"Vaal, you didn't do what I think you just did." Cara was leaning against the wall panting as he thrust into her gently a few more times before he withdrew. He nuzzled her neck, barely able to keep from laughing. He turned her around, picked her up and carried her back to their bed.

The next morning he sent a message to Sam asking to talk with him later and not to let Darla or Cara know, that it was important. Sam's answer came back a few minutes later, agreeing but telling him with the way things were at the bakery it would have to be kept short or broken up into small exchanges. Vaal told him to send him a call when he had time.

"Vaal? Are you alright? What is so wrong that I have to keep it from my wife and daughter?" Sam asked as he took a few extra minutes to gather up boxes for packing whole pies in.

"Is anyone else around? Especially that Nina'Vonn?"

"Nope, just you and me, son." Sam's eyes flicked to the screen and saw Vaal tapping some type of repair tool on the table in front of him.

"Sam, that Nina'Vonn isn't who she is claiming to be. I requested my Father to look into her background more after several incidents lately. And the Captain of the Roma has no listing for a Vonn family."

"What incidents? What is going on?" Sam set the boxes to the side and turned his full attention on Vaal.

"Other than the constant, unasked for and unreciprocated flirting she has done to me? She has showed up at my work, unannounced, showed up at the Gardens on the only day we go out for groceries and somehow has found out where we lived and has shown up there multiple times. There are other things as well but that is being handled by my Father. I just want you to keep an eye on her while she is there. Something isn't right, but I don't want her tipped off until I can make charges stick within the Conclave. Right now, it's all circumstantial ... well for the most part."

"Why didn't you tell me this when it first started?"

"Because Cara needed time to rest, so did I. Until we get this settled at least we know where that girl is for part of the time. If you fire her should could disappear or worse. I'll contact my Father in a few days to see if he has more information. Thanks, Sam."

"Alright, but if it keeps up I'll have to fire her. I don't care if I have to close a day a week or change the times. I would rather do that than have you both dealing with even more. And from now on son, you don't need to keep things like this from me. We're family, if you're having a problem you can come and tell me. I'll do my best to help. Oops, I have to go, Darla is out there shouting for these boxes. I'll talk with you later, Vaal."

 

* * *

 

About an hour before his shift was to end a call came from his Father. "Vaal, are you somewhere fairly secure that we can talk or should I call back later?"

"It's fine here, I'm the only one here right now. What is going on?"

"I sent a request to the Conclave for a closed meeting, citing the breach of the security and their orders concerning that program. I just got back from the meeting."

"What did they have to say?"

"A lot. There were other breaches as well, all concerning apps that in one way or another were based on creating intimacy or bonds between the quarian people. Bypasses for the need of actually linking suits to have ... relations with someone. Also more recently there has been several advanced hacking programs that had been accessed, that none of the technicians working on them could account for, or would tell them if they had been the one to do it. Now that they have a lead, no matter how small, with the logs that you sent, they are wanting to send someone to further investigate. They are sending someone from the Tesha, that way you can say he is someone from your home ship and is there visiting you. I requested it so that way you would not be having to lie to Cara, at least more than just hiding the hacking attempts from her. He will be there in 3 galactic standard days, he'll need to stay with you for a day or so until he can find something near the bakery or you. He told them that if he stayed at the camp instead of with friends it would look odd. Maybe you can help him out with somewhere to stay?" His father transferred the quarians file to Vaal's omni tool.

Vaal sat back a bit on his stool, "I'll talk with Cara, but he'll need to remain in his suit or use the clinics clean rooms. The filters were just changed in the apartment and they drained our spare credits. With having to pay back the loan we took out, we can't spend too much on other things. We do have a sterilizer and the Gardens here are reasonable. If we can't find anything he will have to make do on the couch or on my old cot in the living room."

"I'll pass on the information, and he will have credits for his food and his own suit repair kit. He'll also be bringing some specialized tracking apps that will need to be loaded onto your omni tool. They will record the hacking attempt and send it in real time to the Conclave, he has also been authorized to place a call trace hack on her tool so will need to be in very close proximity until it's installed. They are hoping with the more recent intel they can pinpoint who it is and who she is working for and why she has targeted you, when you are not on the Fleet and not working in any high security facility. It makes no sense to any of us."

Vaal stood up and put his tools away, "alright, I'll tell Cara about this tonight when we get home. It will give us time to get everything ready. I'll also talk with her parents to let them know that a friend will be stopping by and wants to see the bakery. It will give him time to get close enough to install that program. I have to go now so I'm not late getting to the store. Thank you, Father."


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

 

 Vaal told Cara about having a visitor from his old ship coming to stay on the Citadel for a while. When he asked if it was alright if he stayed with them while he was there she questioned him about his safety. "To be safe I shouldn't come out of the suit and we will need to run about a week's worth of full decons after he leaves, before the place is completely safe for me again. But it shouldn't be a problem. I may be sick for a little while but nothing serious. And it's only until I can help find him some place to stay, you have seen how the C-Sec guards treat the quarians on pilgrimage here. We aren't vagrants but they don't seem to understand that. I really don't want to have him go through that harassment if at all possible."

"Sure. Just let me call my parents and let them know. Maybe they can close for a day so we can take him around and show him the station."

"He'd like that, especially the bakery. When I told him what it was he was intrigued and asked to see it specifically. I was hoping you wouldn't mind if he spent the day there with you, he'll help you out. All you have to do is show him." He shrugged, "it's his way of repaying us for letting him stay here."

Several days later Vaal came in to the bakery with another male quarian behind him, this one wearing red and white, his suit identical to the old one that Vaal had before receiving his new one, except instead of yellow accents his had black ones.

"Hello, dear. Is this the friend you mentioned?" Darla met him in the front of the bakery and waved them closer to the counter. "Sam is in the back getting some supplies and Cara is in her usual spot inside the kitchen."

"Yes, this is Cinn'Gosta vas Tesha. Cinn, this is my Mother-in-Law, Darla Shadewell."

They finished their introductions and Cinn went to look at the wall of holos of the family, surprised to see ones of Vaal outside of his suit and with the human that must be his Soul Mate. He couldn't decide if the man was insane or extraordinarily brave.

"I thought I heard Vaal out there, son I could use your help for a second if that's you." Sam called from the back of the store and Vaal told him he'd be right there.

"Cinn, I'll take you to meet Sam."

The introductions were made and then in hushed whispers, "you're the one the Fleet sent to investigate that girl?"

"Yes, sir. I'll be spending most of my time here, watching and I may have to put some recording devices in the kitchen. We need to trace who she calls and what programs she uses, to find out what is really going on here."

Sam let out a hum, "ok, here's what I was thinking. We have the storage room here, still cleaned out and set up as a temporary bedroom. Now it ain't much, mind you. But after a few days we can say that you feel bad about Vaal here not being able to spend....err... quality time with my little girl." He let out a huff and gave Vaal a stare. It only caused the quarian to laugh at him. "And we can move you in here, that way you can be here when that Nina'Vonn girl comes in for the early morning pies. Otherwise, well, she leaves just before Cara and Vaal come in. It'd look really strange if you come into the shop without them. Now, you do what you need to do to find out and stop that girl harassing my boy. I'll make sure to have those prepackaged dinners and lunches from that Garden place here for you. There are those... umm... what the hell were they? Those drinks you left here... anyway, there is a bunch of them up in the apartment, I'll bring 'em down and put them in the cooler back here for you."

The others agreed with his plan then he handed Vaal a stack of boxes and grabbed a box of napkins and straws, shoving them into Cinn's hands before picking up a box of disposable flatware. "Okay boys, we've jawed enough, I gotta get back before my wife thinks I done ran off." They followed him out and placed their burdens on the counter. Vaal turned toward the kitchen and Cinn followed him.

"Cara?" Vaal called out not seeing her elbow deep in ingredients or filling pie shells. A minute later her voice is heard coming from the dextro cooler. "In here, Vaal, I'll be out in a minute."

Vaal poked his head around the corner and saw her standing on a tall ladder trying to get a filling container down. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He startled her and she wobbled on the ladder, he made a grab for her to steady her.

"Damn it, Vaal, you scared me." She handed him the large container and carefully got off the ladder. "I thought you put all those afternoon containers on the lower two shelves? Only the empty ones were supposed to be up on the upper shelves."

"I did, Cara. There should have been nothing you needed to get from up there until tonight."

She frowned as she washed and sterilized her hands. "Well, Mom and Dad leaves this area alone when they are stocking. All of the fillings for the afternoon pies were up on the upper shelves. All of them. It took me all morning to get them down, almost fell several times on that rickety ladder we have. Then when I went to get the dextro yabloko fruit mixture we made, I couldn't find it. Mom helped me look and for some reason it was over in the levo side behind some apple fillings. I know we have been pushing it again and have been really tired, but we need to be more careful."

She didn't see the way both of the quarians had turned their heads toward each other. "Cara, before you begin making the pies I want you to meet my friend from the Fleet. Cinn'Gosta vas Tesha, this is my Soul Mate, Cara'Res vas Citadel."

She smiled at the other male and they made small talk about the bakery and such for a few minutes then she told them she really had to get back to work. "I'll take him to the Gardens so he can get his groceries then show him to the apartment. We'll be back later tonight. Is there anything you need?"

She thought for a few minutes then rattled off a list for the chemist. "Oh and we need more detergent." He was busily typing away as she carried a tray to the oven. When she got back he ran a finger down her cheek and she kissed the side of his helmet.

The two men walked out of the store and spoke quietly to each other, "the female quarian is the only one to have access to that area in the early morning other than Darla. Sam doesn't come down until a bit later and her Mother would never get up on that ladder to move things, not only that but she knows that Cara has a system back there that works." They started to worry things may have escalated.

They were waiting for their produce when Cinn looked over at Vaal, "this family wasn't what I was expecting. The human parents treat you as their real son and it's plain to see that you both care about each other. To be honest I was expecting them to treat us both with a lot of suspicion as most of the other races do."

Vaal let out a small chuckle, "I thought the same thing. But, after the first few minutes of her Father talking to me they just... accepted me. I thought they were unorthodox. When I was at their place that first day, Darla threw a ladle at her son for smart mouthing, Cara tried to hit him when he snorted at my old ship." He let out a laugh and helped pick up the bags of sterilized food containers, "I even lived on it and made jokes about it, but they were trying to keep him from doing it. They treated me better than my Mother and Father did Cara upon first talking to her. Father, of course, has accepted it and even wished us well. Mother on the other hand hasn't spoken to me again."

They waited for the decon cycles to end then he showed Cinn where everything was.

Cinn explained the apps that he would need to install on Vaal's omni tool, then did a thorough scan of the suit and looked for anything that needed to be fixed. "Hmm, there is a program here I haven't seen before." He pointed it out and Vaal said he hadn't had a warning on his system and never noticed it. Cinn set up a secure line with his superiors and sent them a copy of the program. They ran it through the database and found out that it was one that had been stolen. They sent him the tool to remove it and to lock it out of his suit. "Well that's app number two we found that had been used on you. There isn't a doubt in my mind it's this female's doing. We just need to catch her red handed and trace where they came from."

Cinn made sure the omni tool and suit were clear of any other abnormalities then installed the programs. "Tomorrow, when the parents are out in the other area, I will install what I can, but the cameras will need to wait until I stay there. That way I can do it at night after everyone leaves, won't arouse suspicion."

 

* * *

  
That night while Vaal kept Cara busy, Cinn placed several listening devices in the kitchen. Since they were talking he could test them out until he was satisfied with the sound. He looked around and saw the best places for the tiny cameras as well. "So what is this that you are doing now?" He asked as he watched her pouring various things into a large stainless steel vat.

"This is the machine that we use to mix the smooth filling ingredients. The ones we use whole or sliced fruit in is done on a different machine. Doughs are done on yet another one. We never mix the levo and dextro. Everything is washed and sterilized thoroughly before and after use." She explained some more as she loaded the filling into the storage containers that were specifically marked. Vaal loaded them into the cart and put them into place. Then the trays upon trays of crusts were put on their racks and wheeled in. The two quarians shared a look as they knew for a fact that everything was in its proper place.

 

* * *

 

The next morning they showed up and she got to work, Vaal and Cinn looked inside the cooler and moved the items that were rearranged back to where they were supposed to be, double checking the labels after opening the containers to check for tampering. At least it hasn't gotten further than just moving stuff around. Vaal went to work and Cinn hung around the bakery talking to her and asking her questions, then wandered around out in the main room and storage room, placing more devices around where he thought were good spots to stop and hide to make calls or activate apps without too many people noticing.

Later in the afternoon, he made his way over to where Vaal worked and hung around near the shop. C-Sec stopped him twice and asked for ID and current residence, which when presented with the electronic documents, made them stomp off in a huff since they couldn't arrest him for vagrancy. He gave a bitter laugh at them, then settled back down to wait. He didn't have long before the female quarian came into view. He started his security apps then ran a scan of her, the serial numbers on the tools match to what was given to him as an identifier from the logs. He sent Vaal a quick message to come to the front and to keep her there for several minutes while he sent her tool a viral program to give him access for later.

Vaal came out and asked her what she was doing there, he had told her several times that he didn't want her there, wasn't interested in her. Then asked why she was doing this. When she tried to reach for him he took several steps back from her and told her to leave. He could only take so much and when he went inside sent an apology to Cinn for not giving him more time.

"No apology is needed. The app was sent and I was surprised you stayed as long as you did. I don't know what's going on but I'm going to do my best to find out and help stop this. What she is doing is a disgrace to our people. I sent a vid to the Conclave as proof. We just need to finish this up and find out who she is and where she got those programs. Which by the way she tried to place into your suit again. I'll give it another day for the audio to register anything then we'll set the rest into motion."

 

* * *

 

That night Cinn asked if they could go early to the bakery, he wanted to see how they did the early morning pies and get ready to open for business. Cara thought it was a bit strange but agreed.

Vaal tossed and turned on the cot for several hours then let out a sigh. As quietly as he could he got up and made his way into the bedroom. He had to be beside her. He wanted to be inside her, thrusting into the warm body of hers and hearing her cries of pleasure in his ears. He sealed and locked the bedroom after he got in there and started the decon cycle going when the system said it was free of contaminants, other than those normally present that he had acclimated to, he approached the bed and started to take off his suit.

Cara sighed then let out a groan as she felt Vaal's lips and hands on her body. His tongue licked across a nipple, she gasped and her eyes shot open. "Vaal, what are you doing? You're crazy. Get back in your suit. There is another person in the apartment you're going to get ill." She hissed at him, he didn't answer her as his mouth was busy licking and sucking on her neck and his hand was sliding her panties off, giving a tug on them so she would lift her hips up.

When his fingers circled around that moist hot center of her, he let out a moan, easing a thick finger inside and spreading the moisture around. She arched her back as he stroked his finger across her clit then thrust it into her. The harder he used his finger on her the louder her moans got.

When he thrust inside and curled his finger, dragging it over that small, rough, patch deep inside her and withdrew, she thrust her hips up at him and cried out, her body shaking, clenching around his finger as he pushed back inside.

As soon as her body settled back on the bed he shifted and lifted her hips to him, snapping his hips into her. She cried out again as he hilted, his own groan loud in the room as he held still until the aftershocks eased a bit more then started to stroke inside of her. His thrusts becoming faster and harder, the sounds of their bodies coming together was drowned out by the harsh breaths and moans until he hissed he was getting too close and used his thumb to brush against her center. Flicking across that nub until she screamed out his name as she came again, clamping down hard and milking him as he let out a loud groan, threw his head back and filled her.

Cinn had laid there waiting, timing to see how long it would take until he saw Vaal make his way to the bedroom. What he didn't count on was the sounds coming from that room. He turned down his auditory sensors and thought to himself that the other man was insane... definitely insane, to take such a risk, just to be with a woman.

 

* * *

  
Cinn woke up a few hours later and wondered why he couldn't hear anything then remembered the sounds from the other two, he cautiously turned the volume back up and then shut it down again when he heard them going at it again. Keelah, he was glad that he would be moving to the storeroom tomorrow night. A little while later he gave out a sigh as the thick mist of a full decon filled the apartment.

He watched as he had yesterday morning as Vaal came out and started breakfast for her. Some strange wrap thing he took out of the freezer and put in the warmer then make some bitter smelling drink. Vaal glanced at the door to the bedroom before asking, "so how did you want to do this?"

"I need you to make sure she stays in that room for long enough to get at least one tracking app to download and activate. I'll have to rerun a scan and check for the backdoor I put on her tool, as long as she hadn't found it yet, then we should be alright. If she did then we'll need to run it again with a different algorithm. My HUD will alert me when it's finished and activated. From there all we can do is wait. Tomorrow night I'll install the cameras and let Cara's parents know where they are located."

 

* * *

 

They were already at work when Nina'Vonn arrived. Darla let her in and the girl stumbled to a halt as she saw another quarian in the kitchen laughing at the the flour that was all over Cara. "Vaal, I swear I'm gonna get you for that one day. Just because I can't douse you with flour doesn't mean I'm going to let you off the hook for that stunt. Cinn, you're as bad as he is for egging him on."

"That's for keeping me up all night with those damn noises coming from your bedroom. Keelah, it was, "oh god, yes Vaal, harder and Cara, that feels good, don't stop, Keelah, mmm yeah, just a little more. That's it come for me again, Cara....". His voice would go from a rather high pitched version of Cara to the deep accented mimicry of Vaal as he did it. "And not to mention the moans and groans from you two bosh'tets all night and this morning."

"Oh god, you could hear us through the sealed doors? Damn you, Vaal." She poked her finger into his chest then smacked a floured covered hand print right in the middle of his mask. He had yet to stop laughing.

"Sorry for interrupting this get together, but I need to make the pies. If you wouldn't mind cleaning up this mess that you made," Nina'Vonn's voice called out snidely from the doorway where she was standing.

"Funny, I thought this store belonged to your parents, Cara?" Cinn said just loud enough for his voice to carry over to where the other quarian was standing. His app had initiated as soon as she had entered the room, now they just had to keep her there long enough for it to do its job.

"It does, Cinn, but she is right. We have pies to make and you two need to clean up this mess so we can get to it."

Vaal hummed then brought her into him for a hug, she gasped as she felt his hand squeeze her ass. "Vaal, behave yourself."

"What? I just wanted a hug before I have to work. Can't a man hug his adorable Soul Mate before breaking his back sweeping a floor?"

She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to start filling the pies. It was all Cinn could do not to laugh at the perfect three finger, flour colored hand print that was gracing her right butt cheek.

As Vaal swept up, Cinn watched Cara making pies and asking appropriate questions. He was also watching Nina'Vonn. Each time she went into the cooler or after placing the pies on the oven conveyor, the app would register an attempt to bypass the new protection suite. He grinned as it would fail and he could tell she was getting more and more frustrated. He wanted to find out just where she got those programs from, each one was supposed to be either destroyed or encrypted and since she was here on the Citadel when at least one of those apps were taken, it means someone was on the Fleet perpetuating this.

Vaal told them he had to get to work at the salvage yard and Cara took a clean towel and carefully wiped down his helmet, removing all traces of the flour as he held her against him. "I'll be back at the regular time. Behave yourselves. No funny business with my wife, Cinn."

Cinn glanced over at the female and saw her slamming stuff around, "after last night and this morning from just listening to you two, I doubt she has the energy to handle me anyway, Vaal. She's safe enough. Now if she wasn't your Soul Mate but a girlfriend that would be a different story. I'd be all over that in a heartbeat, ill or not for a while afterward, it sounded like it would be so worth it."

Cara jumped when a container fell to the floor and rolled their way. Cinn picked it up and looked for damage then plopped it back on the table. Vaal laughed at him, knowing he wasn't really interested, that it was just to get the female aggravated enough to hopefully contact someone or to get her to do something so he could arrest her and taken back to the Fleet.

 

* * *

 

Several hours after Vaal left, Cinn checked his log and then sent an encrypted copy to the Conclave investigators. Sam called him out to the front and showed him how they opened and Cinn whispered to him where he would be placing the cameras tomorrow night, then he went back in to help Cara.

When Vaal showed up that night he made the announcement that all of the places he had looked into for Cinn to stay, that would be in his price range, wouldn't allow quarians so he would have to stay with them. Sam spoke up as planned and things proceeded.

"Cara, darling. I don't know if you realized this or not, but sweetheart, you've had a hand print on your butt all day that looks like it's Vaal sized." Darla said to her in a loud whisper.

"WHAT!", she brushed furiously at her backside, "you're just now telling me this. I've been taking pies out to the store all day. What is wrong with you all." They were all laughing, including her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yabloko = Russian for apple


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

 

 

The next night after the store closed and Cinn made sure no one was hanging about, he snuck out and placed cameras in all the spots, then double checked to make sure everything was secure in the coolers and they were also covered by a camera. That afternoon Cara had noticed something off about several of the batches of pie fillings that she had made the night before and tested them. The dextro's had what amounted to enough levo fruit puree mixed in to cause severe cramping if it had been eaten. Luckily they weren't a normal morning batch so after all of the pies were checked and found to be safe, they had gone through the rest of the fillings and pie crusts.

"Thanks, Cinn. I'm glad you were here to help me scan these. I don't know how I messed up so badly. So much wasted product, this is going to hurt the store." She was entering the information into the log sheet. Cinn had wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault. He had watched her make those fillings and she did nothing wrong. Now with this latest development it was even more crucial to find out what was going on, why it was happening and who were the ones behind it.

The next morning he was up and about before Darla let Nina'Vonn into the store. She paused when she saw him sweeping the floor in the kitchen area. "What are you doing back here?"

He waited several minutes to answer her, "Sam and Darla let me stay here. In return I'll be helping out by keeping the area back here clean and the coolers organized in the mornings and afternoons. So if you need anything from there, I'll be glad to get it for you and take the containers back in."

"I can get my own containers, it's part of my job."

He shrugged, "suit yourself."

About an hour before the others came in, Darla called him out to see if he could help her move the drink machine, she had dropped something behind it. When he came back in Nina'Vonn was in the cooler and he hurried inside. "So how do you like working here?"

The girl jumped. She quickly closed the container of the dextro berry filling and shoved it back into place on the second tier where the dessert pie fillings were kept.

"It's fine. It's work." She hurried out of the cooler and he did a quick scan on the containers, pulling three aside and made notes on them to not use, then noted the log with time so he could check the recordings and send it away. He wasn't sure it was enough to arrest her on but it was enough to begin proceedings. Premeditated poisoning at the very least, whether it would stick or not was up to the Conclave.

When Cara and Vaal came in Cinn quickly told him what happened and they moved to the dextro freezer grabbing the three large containers of contaminated fillings. "What are you two doing?"

"I was in here cleaning and noticed the lids were not on these properly. I ran a scan and they came back with some contaminates. Probably from the cleaning supplies and us going in and out of the freezers from the levo side. So Vaal is helping me to dispose of them so they don't accidentally get used." He handed her a small piece of paper with the names and container numbers on it then they hurried out to the back.

"I need to record me taking another sample of these to send to the Conclave, make sure no one is looking." He took his samples, sealed and coded them before placing them into a slot of his suit. They disposed of the stuff in the containers then carried them back in. He sent the recordings and samples back to the Conclave when he left to go to lunch. They acknowledge the receipt of the vids and would begin investigating them. No new programs had been discovered as missing so he was still on the look out for the others, he had the feeling the female had them and was waiting for an opportunity to infect Vaal's omni tool and suit with them. He just had to stay several steps ahead of her.

 

* * *

 

Several days later Cinn's omni tool registered a more sophisticated attack on his own suit. It logged the tool id number and then subtly traced it back, the program was infected with a specific and extremely simple virus. Most systems only guarded against the more well known and much more eloquent viral attacks. They neglect the old ones, the ones that people no longer remember. The one like he used to record all the data on her tool and send it back to him, a copy being sent straight to a special data bank at the Conclave at the same time. Gotta love the streaming capabilities of the Citadel.

Cinn told Vaal of the attack and made sure to do a scan of the tool and suit. Removing the program that had been trying to install itself. "Alright, this is getting to be too much. I'm going to contact the Conclave. In the meantime, maybe you shouldn't come into the store for a while. Tell them you are ill or something, you're a quarian they'll believe it."

"Cara will panic if I say I'm ill. Maybe I'll just take an extra shift at work. We could use the credits anyway."

"Whatever works. Hopefully this will be enough for me to get the go ahead and arrest her. Just as long as C-Sec doesn't interfere I can get her off the station and back to the Fleet soon."

Vaal let out a grumble then headed off for work, his boss was all too happy to give him some extra hours. Of course it was for the same rate of pay, no overtime, but Vaal didn't argue or complain. He was glad to have the job and every extra credit helped. Lunch time came and he headed toward the Zakera Cafe to pick up his usual lunch and as usual ran into the female. He ignored her and sent a message to Cinn. Who said he was within three minutes of arriving there.

He let out a low groan and felt a hand on his arm, "get your damned hand off me! I never gave you permission to touch me. I have a Soul Mate. Why can't you leave me the hell alone? There are so many unmated males on this damn station, go find one of them to stalk and bother. Get the hell away from me, I've had it with you."

Cinn heard the yelling before he even got inside, "shit."

"Vaal, calm down. Get your lunch and go see Cara. I'll take care of this."

Vaal purchased one of the sterilized lunch kits and hurried out the door. Several people were whispering and staring at the female quarian shaking their heads. It was bad form, no matter the species, to interfere with a bonded couple.

"Look, I don't know what is going on here. But you should know better. Vaal has a Soul Mate, a good one at that, you need to leave him alone." Cinn told her, hoping that he could calm the situation down so it didn't go further, he was still waiting on word from the Conclave.

"Mind your own business. Vaal'Res is bonded to a human... a human. That can't be satisfying to him. After all they can't have a child and she can make him sick. She knows nothing about us. It's a farce." The female's mask light was flashing as she strode from the cafe.

"You're wrong, they are bonded and care a great deal for each other, as it should be. Keelah, do you have any idea what it even means to be lucky enough to find a Soul Mate? That one person in this whole damn galaxy that is meant just for you?"

She didn't bother responding only headed toward the Gardens after a few minutes. He turned and went back to the bakery to check on Vaal. He found both of them in the storage room, Vaal was sitting on a crate and had Cara in his lap.

"You alright?" Cinn asked as he leaned against the door frame.

"Yeah. Just give us a few minutes. I have to eat then get back to work."

Cinn went upstairs to the family quarters to get his own pre-made meal. He sat at the table after making sure no one was in the apartment and sent an urgent message to his contact with the Conclave.

"Cinn'Gosta, why did you need to send an urgent message, we have yet to go over the last update you sent." The male quarian looked at him, his face mask dark and his voice sounded gruff, his accent thicker than usual.

"Things have escalated again, she accosted him in the middle of a Cafe and he yelled at her, everyone there heard about her trying to come between a Soul Bound pair. He is at his breaking point with this and she knows it. She doesn't care that she is going against everything the pact with the Soul Mate Project brings to our people. Do you even know her real identity?"

"We are still going through the Pilgrimage database, there was over 5,000 females that left within the two week period of time. We sent out messages to all of them. Many have responded, those that have not or those that are in Citadel space are being compiled into a list. Once that is done we can go through and see who could possibly have access to the programs or know the male's family. We concluded that she went there specifically for him, she didn't just stumble across him, but went to his mate's shop. We are cross referencing everything that comes our way concerning this."

"And what about the tampering with the food, attempted poisoning. Maybe if we bring her in on that charge she would give up the rest of the ones behind this mess." He saw the other male shaking his head.

"The Conclave voted against it. Too likely to cause her to refuse to say. Since there was a only a very slim chance that quarians would have eaten that substance to begin with, there would have been a very low chance of poisoning other than to turians. The labs say that the contaminant may have given them digestive issues but nothing very serious."

"Serious enough for them to possibly lose their business and home." Cinn mumbled. The other quarian didn't comment.

"Was there anything else?"

Cinn looked at the other male and heaved a sigh, "no, sir. Unless you have more intel on the program I sent you a log and copy of."

"We're checking into it. That one wasn't on the stolen list so it's possible it was one that was made just for that sole purpose. There are several labs that have people with that sort of expertise to create them, we are checking into it. Cross referencing it all in with the rest, we'll let you know as soon as we find anything."

"Yes, sir." The connection was cut and he finished eating. There has to be a connection between someone in one of those labs and that female. Now that they had that intel maybe they would actually be able to find something.

 

* * *

 

The days passed slowly with Vaal only coming to the store as it was closing, Darla asked him if something was wrong and he told her that he was just working more at the salvage yard. She seemed to be satisfied with that reason. Sam, on the other hand, knew the real reason and he hoped all this craziness stopped before it got too much worse.

Vaal was sitting at his workstation carefully soldering a new chip onto a circuit board of a customer's robo dog when his omni tool pinged. "Father? Hello, I'm still at work so I really can't talk at the moment, the customer is going to pay extra if I can get this thing running right by the end of the day."

"It's alright, Vaal I just wanted to tell you that this evening when you and Cara return to your home, I need for you to call me. There is something very important we need to discuss and we must do so as soon as possible."

Vaal tipped his head to side a bit, "of course, Father. But if it's an emergency the boss will understand, probably, I can go and get Cara now."

"No, no it is important but not an emergency and I understand you can not afford to lose your job or pay. The Citadel was extremely expensive years ago when I was there, I can only imagine what it is like for you both now. Just call me as soon as you return home, the time is not important. It must be as soon as you return."

"Alright, Father, I'll send her a message letting her know we'll have to go straight back after work. I'll talk with you then."

"Thank you, Vaal. Goodbye."

His Father cut the connection and Vaal sat there for a few minutes trying to figure out what could be so important yet not an emergency. His mind kept going over his Father's words and actions for the rest of the day as he tried to get the outdated model of the dog working again. He sent a brief message to Cara before he cleaned his work area and packed up for the night.

They were sitting on the bench at the public transit stop waiting for the next available transport to pick them up, when Cara turned to him, "you have no idea what you Father wants? He didn't tell you anything but to go home and call him?"

"No. That's really odd and has been bothering me all day, actually. Was sitting there trying to think what it could be and just came up blank. Here comes the car."

When they returned home, she went in to begin her showering process so Vaal could safely remove his suit. He put their dinners on the separate shelves of the warmer then sat on the couch and activated the holo projector before calling his Father.

"Vaal? Sorry, I fell asleep waiting for your call. The time difference and all."

His Father looked up after clearing his throat. "Where is Cara?"

"She will be out in a minute or two, she follows an extremely strict routine to allow us to share the open air here. What is so important Father that you had us call you so late, Fleet time?"

"There is something that I may have discovered and it concerns both of you, that is why I would like Cara to be here as well."

"Alright, I'll go check on her, see how much longer. She's usually out just seconds before our dinners are ready." He got up and jogged to the bedroom, stuck his head in and saw she was almost ready.

"He's adamant about both of us being there, something's up and whatever it is I get the feeling it isn't good news we are going to be hearing." He whispered to her as she slid the shirt over her head. They hurried out and he grabbed their boxes out of the warmer before joining her on the couch.

"Sorry, Father but we haven't eaten since lunch time. We follow a tight schedule." He slipped his mask off and took Cara's hand as they thanked their Gods for bringing them together and giving them the ability to share the air they breathe. Then they began to eat. His Father had grown silent as he watched them for those few seconds.

"What I have to say is going to be difficult for me, it will also be difficult for you to hear, Vaal."

Vaal glanced up at his Father. "We are listening, I take it this is something to do with the problems I am having?"

Cara looked over at him then back at his Father. "This is about Nina'Vonn?"

"Partially, yes." He let out a long sigh and tapped a finger on the desk in front of him. "I returned home earlier than usual two days ago, work had gone smoother than normal, so had some free time. I heard... your Mother speaking to another woman. I could only hear bits and pieces and didn't want to let them know I was there. Your Mother asked how the plan was going and when told it wasn't going at all as she had told the other woman it would, your Mother became a bit upset. I had to move further away and could not hear. A few minutes later I caught a small snippet about the girl needing to do something more drastic and to see what other pleasure and if necessary control apps could be found and copied."

By this time Vaal had dropped the silver packet back into the tray and had sat back on the couch. Cara had pushed her dinner away and sat with her head down.

"My own Mother is trying to destroy a Soul Bound pair? Her own son's? I don't understand why? She knows how this all works. Cara and I are bound, our souls made whole. Keelah, this really can't be happening."

Cara twisted her fingers then rubbed her palms on her thighs, "so everything that is going on, the flirtation, the showing up at our home and his work. It was all because of this? The things going on at the bakery, the fillings and the mix ups, they are her and not mistakes because of being tired, aren't they?"

Vaal didn't say anything at first, just rubbed his forehead. "I didn't want to tell you. Cinn and I have been trying to make sure it doesn't happen again. I know it costs your family a lot of credits."

"It's not the credits, Vaal. If one of our customers gets sick, they could lose their store, their home. What about the kids? What would happen to Max and Marcy? We could lose our apartment as well." Cara crossed her arms over her abdomen, she had started feeling sick and her muscles were cramping at the thought of her parents losing everything they had worked so hard for. They had nothing else, where would they all go? "She is doing this because I'm a human? She ... what? Wants you to mate with a quarian? Give her a grandchild? Is that what this is all about?"

"Cara, my wife... she never thought Vaal would find his other half. Neither one of us ever did. I think... I think it did something to her when he was so happy to have found his. I think at first she resented it, then when she saw you were human and you, along with your parents were not ... scientifically inclined as Vaal is, she thought there was a mistake. I told her the Project couldn't afford to make mistakes, their databases and procedures were checked and double checked through the entire process."

"My parents are not bound either, sir, but they would never do this. They love Vaal and have treated him as a son. I don't ... they could lose everything they worked so hard for." She wiped the tears that had started to fall. She glanced at Vaal and saw his head in his hands. She blinked and looked back at his Father, slowly standing up from the couch. "I'll go see the Project Board tomorrow, tell them this isn't working. They made a mistake and Vaal should be released and sent back to the Fleet." She took off running for the bedroom door, sealing and locking it behind her before Vaal could make it and stop her.

"Cara! NO! Don't do that! Please, please open the door. Don't do this! I won't go back. I love you, please don't." Vaal's gloved fist was banging on the door at the same time his other hand kept pushing in the codes for it to open. "Cara? Cara, please."

When she didn't open the door he went back and fell on the couch, "I won't go back. I will never return to the Fleet. Never. I will stay here on the Citadel. If Cara leaves I'll follow wherever she goes. I will make her understand that without her I am nothing. Without my other half, my Soul, I'd rather be dead." He cut the connection with his Father.

 

* * *

 

He tried for hours that night to get her to open the door. Finally he replaced his mask and cleaned up what was left of the uneaten food and sat on the couch in the pitch black room, waiting for morning to come. He had to stop her, he had to keep her from destroying them to appease his damn Mother, to protect her own family as well. He had to protect his.

Cara didn't sleep, all she did was lay in the bed with the pillow over her head and cried. She so desperately wanted to be with Vaal. She could feel her heart shattering, the pain from the sharp pieces piercing her soul.

Her alarm went off and she got wearily up from the bed sending a message to her parents that she had something come up and it was important and wouldn't be able to make it in until late, possibly not at all depending on how long it took.

She stood in the bathroom and looked at her reflection, the tear stained pale face, the dark circles and haunted eyes. If this was how she looked after only one night of not being next to him, how was she going to be after a week... a year?

The shower didn't help much, but it did wake her up a bit more. She ignored the text from her parents asking what was wrong. She took a deep breath after dressing and before entering the code into the door to unseal it. He was standing on the other side waiting for her. She barely glanced at him before moving around him to head for the front door, there was no way her stomach could handle breakfast this morning, not with what she was forcing herself to do.

"I'm begging you, Cara. Do not do this. Do not tear us apart because of my Mother's xenophobia and that other bitch's actions. We'll figure something else out." He said quietly to her as they were waiting for the decontamination process to finish. His boss hadn't liked him not coming in, Vaal sent him a longer explanation concerning his Soul Mate status and that he was fighting against someone trying to destroy the bond. He had offered to leave his position, that way another could be hired, but this was much too important to him. The elcor finally relented and told him to take what time he needed.

"I'm sorry, Vaal. This is ripping me apart, but I can't take the chance on something happening to my family, I don't want you to lose your own family because of me being a human."

"You are my family, Cara. You are the one that matters most to me, you know how much I love you. I have told you so many times and in so many ways."

"I know Vaal, I love you too. But this is just ...", she never finished the sentence. The transport arrived and she got in, shutting the door behind her and programming in the Project's tower location.

He sent off an urgent message to Cinn to meet him at the Project board and to bring all the intel he had on what was happening. By the time the next transport docked he had told him what was going on and his own Mother was most likely one of the ones behind it, the girl's Mother was the other one.

 

* * *

 

Cinn went running through the kitchen area, barely giving the door between the two areas time to fully open before he squeezed himself through to the main area. "Sam!" His shout drew the attention of not only the man he yelled for but the crowd as well.

"We gotta go, we got to get to the Project tower, now. We know who is behind what is going on, so does Cara. She's there trying to petition a Soul Separation. It's his own damn Mother and that girl's Mother, whoever the hell she really is."

Darla dropped the plate of pie she was holding, "but, why? Those two love each other. What is going on here?"

"Honey, don't have time to explain now, we got to move. Everyone needs to go, now, we got a family emergency. Cinn, you get that quarian girl's butt outta that kitchen and drag her with you. She's got some explaining to do and I don't care what your Conclave is doing. All I see is them dragging their asses about getting this to stop."

Cinn nodded, he was in agreement, that girl should have been on the first transport back to the Conclave the minute she tampered with the food and put others lives at risk.

The girl was yelling and trying to pull away, calling for help. Cinn shouted that if she wanted help then by all means call C-Sec, he was sure they would be most interested in the vids he had of her tampering with the food and trying to poison the turians that ate at the store. She stumbled and looked up at him, his shout also drew the attention of several such turians that happened to be wearing the uniforms and were still holding their pies. They loaded the entire group into a C- Sec shuttle and used the emergency lane to get them to the tower.

 

* * *

 

Cara ran her tool under the scanner at the Emergency Services desk and sat in the hard chair waiting to be called. The salarian showed her into a small room and the asari councilor that was assigned to them showed up a few minutes later.

"Ms. Cara'Res, I didn't expect you to show up at the Project tower. What is it that brought you to the emergency help area today?"

Cara clenched her hands together, "I'm here to petition for a Soul Separation due to unmitigated circumstances."

The asari stared at her for several moments then cleared her throat, typing something on a holo keyboard and reading what was shown. "There have been no reports made prior to this, no action reports sent to C-Sec. From all other accounts, your Soul Binding is secure." The asari looked back at the trembling human, seeing her quickly dash away a tear.

"There has been a grievous error made, Vaal-Vaal needs to be released, without censure or punishment, and be returned-returned to the Migrant Fleet, where he belongs."

Cara was starting to feel really sick, her stomach so tied up in knots, that she wasn't sure how much longer she could go before disgracing herself by vomiting in front of this other person.

"Ms. Cara'Res, in order for the petition to be approved there needs to be documented proof of failure to bond. The Soul Marks matched, the collars activated, the seal perfect and souls merged. The medical reports clearly indicate that he has gone through the acclimation and adjusted to being with you. There are no reports of violence, no reports of misconduct on either one of you. Both of you have retained employment. From what every report I can see, there is no reason why your petition should be approved."

Cara let out a small cry and grabbed her stomach, "please, where is the bathroom, I'm going to be ill."

The asari waited a moment to give her privacy before asking one of the on call doctors to come for a quick exam. When Cara came out they sat her down and the doctor checked her, then gave her a small dose of calming aid before patting her shoulder. "Cara, what are you really doing here? Why are you really asking for a Separation? Your body and soul are rebelling at the decision you are making. Shh, it is alright, let me help you." The asari gathered Cara in her arms as she started to cry again. The councilor sitting beside her, rocking her and stroking her hair as if to calm a child.

 

* * *

 

The public transit finally made it to the tower and Vaal shot out of it, ran full out up the stairs, almost knocking over a hapless salarian who was carrying several data pads and bags in his arms. He ran inside and looked for the closest directory, "come on you, bosh'tet directory, where would she have to go to file that petition."

He turned when he heard his name being shouted, a group of people were running toward him. Including several C-Sec officers and a bound, struggling Nina'Vonn.

"Did you find her yet, son?" Sam's breathy pants were interspersed with his words and he gave a groan when Vaal shook his head.

"We have to find that silly girl and stop this horseshit." Sam looked around and spotted an asari hurrying toward a doorway and called out to her. "Ma'am, could you hold up a second. Do you work here, we are in need of some help."

The asari looked over at them before she walked toward them, "yes, I work here. File update for health or other age related matters is taken care of by the Records Department on level 3, room 3-D. If you have lost your initial paperwork after an ... extended period of waiting for news for a match, you need to go down to the basement level and follow the signs." She started to turn away when Sam stopped her.

"We aren't here for any of that, thank you very much. We are here to find out where to go to file for a Soul Separation." Sam had straightened up and crossed his arms at the callousness of the asari's attitude.

The asari turned back and blinked several times not seeing any of them with a Soul collar, until she looked at the male quarian and noticed the different suit and the brand on the shoulder. Her eyes skipped to the female quarian that seemed to have been arrested for something. "Well, if that is the case, take the lift to the fifth floor, turn right and sign in at the Emergency Services desk. Your assigned councilor will be contacted."

One of the C-Sec officers followed them with Nina securely at his side, while the others went to headquarters and started filing the report. The lift made its way maddeningly slow to the fifth floor, the doors barely opened before Vaal was pushing his way out the door and running down the hallway followed by the rest of the group, Nina being practically dragged along.

When Vaal made it to the desk he asked the salarian behind it where his wife was, he needed to find her.

"Swipe your omni tool. Fill out the forms for the reason you are at the Emergency Services Help desk. Then have a seat. Your councilor will be with you shortly." The salarian didn't even bother to look up from the terminal he was typing away at. Not even when Vaal slammed his hands on the desk several times before swiping his omni tool.

"Easy, Vaal. Let's go sit down and fill out those forms, the sooner they're done the sooner they can help to find Cara and stop this nonsense." Darla put her arm around him and led him to the group of chairs at the side.

 

* * *

 

"Cara? Is what you are telling me the truth? That your Soul Mate's Mother is conspiring with others to destroy the bond?", the asari looked into the young woman's eyes and saw the truth of it. Saw that Cara had felt this was the only way to protect her family, to protect Vaal. The repercussions of this will not be kind to the ones doing it, nor will the fines to the Quarian Conclave for knowing about this and not reporting it.

"Oh child, why did you and your mate not come to us from the beginning? We are here to help you. We could have had this resolved so very long ago." The councilor handed Cara some tissues that she kept on hand for the human females, they always seemed to leak so during times of stress or emotional upheavals.

"I didn't know it was like this, everyone hid it. I thought it was just flirtation and tiredness. Vaal never paid any attention to her. They didn't tell me all of it until last night. What she did could have seriously hurt one of the turians, even killed them. I don't understand how a person could do that just to break up another couple. How could his own Mother treat him this way?" Cara wiped her eyes then grabbed a handful of the tissues from the box and blew her nose, not seeing the slight look of disgust on the asari's face that was quickly wiped away.

"It happens sometimes, Cara. Sometimes the person's prior lover can't stand to lose the partner, at times going to extremes to get them back. Sometimes a child doesn't want to lose the only Mother or Father they had ever known, when they are matched to someone and moves away. Normally in those circumstances we try to talk with everyone involved to work something out. In this case it just seems that Vaal's own Mother couldn't or wouldn't accept that he had found his one true mate." The asari let out a slight sigh as she sat back in her chair, "the system we have isn't perfect. Things do happen from time to time, we are creatures of emotion, needs, wants and desires. The beacon could only tell us what the marks were, how to go about setting it up so that we have a chance to unite the souls and find true happiness. Most of the time the system works, rarely does it fail us. In your case, the process worked, your soul is one of the ones that is whole, complete, the way it should be."

She had just handed Cara another box of the tissues when her omni tool beeped. She opened it and read the notice that was sent before leaning forward and typing something on the holo keyboard that appeared on her desk. "Well, it seems like this is going to be resolved faster than I thought, your mate is here and it seems like he has brought half your family, C-Sec and a few other quarians. Shall we go meet with them, Cara? Get this settled so you and Vaal'Res can get back to your lives?"

"He's here?"

The asari gave her a smile as she saw the way the human's eyes light up and her breathing changed, _'yes, their bond is a true one. There was no mistake.'_

The asari quickly tapped something into the terminal before standing. "Come with me Cara. You and Vaal are not alone to deal with this. You have the Soul Project organization behind you."

 

* * *

 

The salarian hurried over to the people in the waiting area. "Vaal'Res vas Citadel and party, follow me."

They were taken to a large room with one wall containing nothing but holo screens. Standing in front of the only terminal in the room was an asari and Cara. Several other asari, turians and a few salarians were sitting on seats to one side. Vaal didn't wait for the salarian to announce them, as soon as he spotted Cara he ran for her and gathered her in his arms. "Please tell me I'm not too late, I can't be without you Cara."

"Vaal, I'm so sorry," Cara clutched at him, burying her face into the front of his suit.

"Officer, please bring the female quarian and put her in the center of the circular platform." The asari stared at the quarian, "I suggest you do not move once you are on the platform. The penalties that you are already facing are severe, do not make them worse."

The female was shaking and stayed on the platform, a barrier rose up around her and a set of shackles rose from the floor clamping to her legs the same time as a purple mass effect field encircled her neck. A light grid came down over her several times, an image of the quarian appeared on one of the screens and they watched as a glow appeared on the female's thigh. When the quarian started to struggle a shock went through her and she stiffened. The light grid slid over the mark and another screen started to rapidly flip through marks. Finally settled on one and flashed several times. The image was replaced with the file of the female quarian.

"Well, everyone, meet Saari'Quia nar Taipan." The asari started to move her hands over the terminal when Vaal looked up and over to the female quarian.

"Taipan? The engineer my Mother spoke of, the one who was looking for a mate for her daughter? Why didn't I realize..." Vaal shook his head not believing what he was hearing.

"You were supposed to be mine, this Soul thing wasn't supposed to happen. We were assured that the binding didn't work that you were not a true soul mate to that human. The mathematical odds of finding a match ...", the girl choked out, the collar and shackles holding her still.

They turned their attention back to the asari, "this is Saryx Disava, Soul Mate Project Councilor for Vaal'Res and Cara'Res vas Citadel. The Project's Committee on Fines and Reparations is also present, as are representatives of the Judiciary Board. By order of the Project Board you are obligated to attend this meeting as representatives of the Quarian Conclave, you are also required to notify the following people, there will be no acceptable excuses for them not appearing. Failure to do so will result in fines equal to 100 years of dues payable immediately and mandatory re-evaluation of the agreement that was made when your species joined the Project. Contact and have them immediately join the transmission, Zune'Quia vas Taipan, Mother of Saari'Quia nar Taipan and a co-conspirator in the attempt to illegally interfere with the Soul Binding of our clients. Mia'Res vas Qwib Qwib, Mother of Vaal'Res vas Citadel, listed co-conspirator. Jaan'Res vas Qwib Qwib, Father of Vaal'Res, listed as witness."

They watched the screen as several quarians looked at each other, one male Conclave member turned his head to stare at Cinn who stepped forward to stand on the other side of Cara.

Within minutes the screens were filled with the quarians. The females looking nervously at the caged girl seeing her bound by both C-Sec cuffs and the Project's equipment. Jaan'Res gave a nod to his son and waited.

The asari stood straight, looked at each of the quarians on the monitors then began. She laid it all out in precise time lines and accounts, showed the vids that were attached to the forms that Vaal had submitted. Cinn was called forward and gave his testimony on both what he had witnessed and what his orders were concerning the handling of the situation. The clicking of the turians mandibles were distinctly heard when the recording of the male Conclave member's disregard of the attempted poisoning of their people was played. Jaan'Res also gave his testimony of what he had overheard and what he had done to help to find who was behind it, including going to the Conclave for them to intervene on his son's behalf. Finally the asari concluded by telling them that at no time was the Project ever informed of the matter and that her clients thought they had to deal with this on their own. She gave her recommendations on sentencing, reparations and fines against the Conclave.

Vaal's Mother started to scream at all of them about the abomination that was forced on her son, how they must have done something to him to make him choose that primitive, idiotic human over a quarian female with the same scientific mind as he and his parents had.

Vaal started yelling at his Mother, "I love Cara, she is my Soul. She is everything to me. You are jealous of your own son's happiness? How can you call yourself my Mother? Without Cara, I am nothing. NOTHING! Do you hear me, Mother? Do you have any idea what this has done to us? Cara was willing to sacrifice herself to a Soul Separation because of you and these other bosh'tets. So I could be released and not reprimanded, so that our family was not marked by this. I will never go back to the Fleet. Do you hear me! Never. I would rather be dead than without Cara."

His Mother let out a scoffing sound, not believing a word her son was saying, it was an act for the others. That's all it was. Nothing more. She started to laugh, telling him that she knew better.

She let out a scream as did the others when Vaal ripped off his mask and threw it across the room when he heard his Mother's laughter.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those that read this story, hope it kept you entertained a bit. I do appreciate all the kudos and comments.
> 
> Enjoy this final chapter :)

* * *

 

 

Everyone was in the waiting room of the hospital after the Emergency Services team rushed to the meeting room to take Vaal into quarantine.

Cara sitting in a corner rocking and holding Vaal's cracked mask in her arms. Marcy sitting near her, watching her sister and wiping the tears from her eyes once in awhile, it seemed Cara was so far away from them that she didn't even realize she was still crying.

A Salarian came through the waiting room doors and scanned the area, "Cara'Res vas Citadel?"

Marcy shook Cara and told her that a doctor was looking for her. She stood up shakily and walked toward him, her hands still clutched tightly around the mask. The rest of the family gathered around and waited to hear what he had to say.

"You are Cara'Res?", when she nodded, he quickly started to read from the chart he held in his hand.

"Your mate is in severe stress, the amount of biological contaminants that entered his body through his lungs has caused complications. Severe high fever. We are trying to bring it down below the critical temps, we are trying to clean his blood and tissue of the foreign bacteria. He will need to remain in strict quarantine. No one other than his medical doctors and nurses is allowed to enter the room. He was otherwise healthy. There is a good chance that he will recover. Will know if he survives his... hasty actions, in the next 72 hours. Prescribing you sleep aid and something for stress. Go home, take the medication and try to rest. We have your contact info. If there is any change will contact you."

He handed the form to Sam who stood there with his arm around her. "Come on Cara, you're coming home with your Mother and me so we can take care of you. Cinn will stay at your place and let Vaal's Father know what is going on."

Cara didn't say anything just shuffled along beside him as he led her to the waiting skycar.

 

* * *

 

They had placed a closed for family emergency sign on the bakery's door. Within hours of them returning from the hospital the news spread to their customers. Messages to the bakery's extranet contact address started to pour in. Prayers and well wishes, thoughts and outrage at what happened. Then there was those poor sad souls that had nothing better to do than to write hate letters. Darla forwarded those to the address that was given to her by the Asari councilor, let them deal with the people, her family had enough to worry about.

 

* * *

 

Cara had grown even paler over the last three days, her clothes had started to hang on her already thin frame. No matter how much coaxing that Darla did, how many of Cara's favorite foods that were made, she barely touched them. Every minute was spent holding that mask and staring through the living room's window.

The councilor had stopped by to inform them of the outcome of the charges placed against the Quarians. Zune'Quia vas Taipan was found guilty, she was sentenced to mandatory time at a non cryo facility for five years. A black mark was placed on her file, if ever a match was made, the partner would be presented with the information that she was a felon and given the chance to deny the claim of mate with no penalties. She was also sentenced by the Conclave for theft of software, she was stripped of her ship name and place in the Software Development lab and would serve twenty years on a live ship in the greenhouses as a nameless worker. That part of her sentence was to be carried out after her five year term.

Saari'Quia nar Taipan's sentence would be carried out when the felony charges for tampering with the food and attempted poisoning of the dextro based customers of the business that C-Sec had charged her with. She would be lucky to see the outside of prison in the next thirty or forty years, only to be shuffled off for another stint in the Project's facility for another ten years in cryo. Her file had a black mark as well, only this one had a gold stripe. Even if a match was found it was unlikely her's would want her, she wasn't only a felon but that stripe meant she had been found guilty on multiple felony charges. She too had been stripped of her ship name.

As far as Mia'Res, she was taken to a mental facility. Jaan'Res had asked for leniency in her situation. Over the next five years she would received treatment for mental instability, she yelled that she wasn't crazy that they had no right to arrest her. The Asari had reservations about not giving her a more stringent sentence, but it wasn't part of her duties to do so.

The Conclave was slapped with not only a steep fine, but the reprimand went on the record. Their contract with the Project was forcibly renegotiated, the Quarians lost the right to have their Pilgrimage takers removed from the list until they returned. From the moment they were of age to go on Pilgrimage they were registered and fell under the Projects rules and regulations about contact and laws. When the rest of the Quarians had heard about what happened they petitioned to have the current members of the Civilian Conclave removed.

 

* * *

 

Cinn told them that he would need to return to the Fleet, he had to report to his immediate supervisors but asked if it would be alright to stop in and see them if ever he was on the Citadel. Sam shook his hand and told him he would always have a place to stay and if ever he wanted a job just to let him know, they currently had an opening. Cinn laughed and shook his hand before Darla hugged him and he headed to the door after saying goodbye to Cara.

 

* * *

 

As they had every morning for the last three days the family piled into a public skycar and headed for the hospital, and just like the last three days they sat in the waiting room, hoping to hear something, anything on an improvement to Vaal.

Darla handed Cara one of the drinks that was prescribed to her by the doctor when they notified him of her listlessness and weight loss. Darla was coaxing her to drink when they saw a Salarian heading toward the waiting area. It was hard to judge if he was the same one or not from when Vaal was admitted, so they waited.

When the doctor stopped in front of Cara and called her name she glanced up.

"Vaal'Res is awake and asking for you." The Salarian gave a slight grin as Cara blinked then let out a choked cry before standing up and hugging him.

The nurses helped her into a quarantine suit and waited with her in the decon chamber. When the all clear was given they followed her toward the encased bed, reminding her that it was still dangerous for him and to not try to bypass the containment field.

Vaal opened his eyes seeing Cara wearing the white sterile suit and gave a hiss as he tried to raise his hand, "Cara."

"Hush, you idiot. Do you have any idea what it did to me, to your Father and my parents when you ripped your mask off? Don't you ever do something that stupid again, you hear me?" Cara was crying the entire time she was reprimanding him, it drove her nuts because she couldn't wipe the tears away and kept banging her hand into the suit's helmet while trying.

"Here I am ... lying in my sick bed ... and instead of telling me how much... you love and miss me... you harp on me." Vaal let out a small laugh and started coughing. One of the nurses injected something into one of the lines running into the containment field. Whatever it was seemed to calm his cough and he settled back into the bed.

"I do miss you, very much and you know how much I love you ... even though you are an idiot for pulling that stupid stunt. How could you do something like that Vaal? What if you couldn't recover? What do you think it would have done to me?"

"I didn't think, Cara, I know that. I reacted to her laughing as if what we had wasn't real. I couldn't stand it any longer, everything that was done because of her. I still can't believe my own Mother ...", his voice faded as his eyes closed.

"We can only give you two more minutes Cara'Res, I'm sorry but Vaal'Res needs to rest, he's still very weak," one of the nurses said from the other side of the bed as she checked a readout.

Vaal opened his eyes back up and gazed at his wife. "Don't worry, Cara. I'll be out of here soon and we can go home." He pressed his hand against the bubble surrounding the bed and she pressed back. "Of course that means building up immunity again, but that damn doctor better get it through his head that I won't be wearing that damn barrier over my cock when we..."

"VAAL!"

 

* * *

 

A month later Cara helped a still easily tired Vaal into their apartment. While she made him one of the special drinks the doctor sent with them, he placed a call to his Father.

"Vaal, son I have been so worried. Sam sent several messages to me, keeping me updated on your condition. I am so sorry that I couldn't stop her, that I didn't see what was happening." Jann'Res sat at his desk, his voice sounding tired and unsure of himself.

Cara handed the drink to Vaal then made her way into the bedroom to let them have some privacy to talk to each other.

She just finished setting up the cot next to bed when he walked in and held her from behind. He let out a sigh, "Father told me that she still refuses to believe in our match. He's worried that she won't recover. He also asked if in a few months, when things settle down, he can come visit, get to know you? I told him I would have to ask."

She made a hum sound and gave his hand a slap as he started to play with her breast. "None of that. Not until you get the all clear from the doctor." He let out a groan and a sigh then dropped onto his cot.

 

* * *

 

Cara was mixing a fresh batch of pie dough when Vaal came into the bakery, a Quarian that must have been his Father following them. The past few months had been stressful for Vaal, the Elcor hadn't liked the fact of him being gone so long and filed a complaint, it was quickly rejected by the Project Board and a reprimand was issued. Vaal showed up for work and instead of his small work station, he had been shoved into an even smaller area. He went to the Board to ask if it was possible for their help to find a different job, when asked why, he showed them the holo of where he had to work. He filled out the forms and submitted them, then started helping Cara in the bakery. The store hours were changed and everyone seemed to be better rested, there were a few complaints but most of them were hushed by the regulars who understood.

Cara and Jaan spent several minutes talking and she answered his questions about the process before Vaal took him to meet Sam. Vaal slipped away from them to return to Cara, grabbing her about the waist and pulling her into the dextro cooler, lifting her to sit on one of the crates and wrapping her legs around him, so he could grind into her. "Cara, let's slip away early, like right now. It's been so long and I finally got the all clear from that damned bosh'tet doctor this morning."

"We can't Vaal, you know I have to get all those crusts made for tomorrow. It's our short day as it is and there isn't much time. Not to mention you promised to spend time with your Father while he is here." She heard him groan and curse under his breath before he pulled her tight against him.

Neither one saw Vaal's Father peek around the corner then head back out of the kitchen when he noticed what they were doing. Vaal found him several minutes later standing and looking at the family holo wall and the new portrait of all of them that now held the main spot on the wall.

Vaal was surprised when his Father told him that Sam and Darla had asked him to stay with them while he was there, they wanted to get to know the Father of their son in law better and he had agreed.

Jaan'Res could almost see the happy grin and gleam in his son's eyes when he realized that he could be with his wife that night after all.

Vaal didn't even wait for the second decon process to finish in the small space between their front door and the sealed door of their apartment, before he had already taken off his mask and pulled her into his arms, kissing Cara with all the pent up longing and emotion he had been feeling over the past several months of forced separation. Her clothes were scattered amongst the pieces of his suit as they stripped each other on their way to their room, barely making it to the bed before collapsing onto it.

Vaal let out a groan as his finger tested his wife's readiness, he had barely touched her, kissed her and already she was dripping, so hot and ready for him. Her own hand ran over his soft velvety body, his muscles clenching as her fingertips traced his abs then wrapped around him, stroking his length. She arched as he slid his finger inside her, the muscles of her passage clenching around him and he let out a soft moan.

A slight widening of her legs had him shifting to cover her, his lips still on hers and their tongues twining together. Both of them let out gasps as his body invaded her, slowly sliding in until he hilted. Their eyes closing for a brief moment before opening to share their joy at the feeling of being one again. His body moved slowly at first, trying to last as long as he could. Her body grinding up to meet his thrusts. A slight hiss and his rhythm changed, speeding up as she cried out and clutched his shoulders. Her body tightening further as she reached her orgasm, pulsing around him causing his own to body to rush toward fulfillment. He spilled as he let out a muffled groan into her neck.

After a few minutes he started to soften and they finally moved to clean and ready themselves for bed, Vaal had promised his Father that they could see the Gardens the next day then search out some of Jaan's old haunts when he was here as a young man on Pilgrimage.

The lights were off and Vaal drew Cara in close to him, holding her as if he never wanted to let her go. She sighed and snuggled her face into his shoulder, giving his collar a kiss before whispering she loved him. He in turn stroked her hair and her collar with his thumb, pressing slightly against the white symbol on it, whispering his own love for her. Their breathing changed as they drifted into sleep.

Neither one saw the symbols start to glow as tiny strands of pearlescent white rose from the collars to intertwine and connect them together. That night their souls completed the transition. They merged, the holes that had been there at the time of their birth, were filled by the other. This was the true binding of Soul Mates, the final step that was hidden within the beacon. The one that would take the Asari another century to find, then several more to translate and understand.

That the true binding happened when their hearts were filled with a pure love for each other.


End file.
